Till the End
by SlightlyPsychoPrincess
Summary: My first fic! Sess and Inu from the day Inu was born and how they grew up, nice Sesshy! Rated for lang. AU. R&R!
1. Waiting

Okay this is my first fic. So be gentle.

DISCLAIMER: Me poor, me no own Inuyasha or any other characters, please don't sue!!

A/N: This is sorta AU cause it's set in the past and I'm changing their childhood a bit to the way I like it (where sesshy is nice), so deal.

Chapter 1 Waiting

A young demon boy watched as his father, the great demon lord InuTaisho, paced back and forth. With his heightened senses he could hear the screams and gasps of his step-mother but did not know what was going on. Being just 6 years old, Sesshomaru assumed she was either dying or in great pain.

"Father," He questioned, looking the fierce demon in front of him with soft amber eyes.

"Yes, Sesshomaru?" He answered shortly. InuTaisho shuddered as his wife, Lady Izayoi, gave another cry of pain.

"Why is she screaming? Doesn't she know it hurts our ears?" He looked up innocently at his father while his small hands clutched at his ears.

"She's having a pup, Sesshomaru. A little brother or sister for you, she can't help it." The Great InuYoukai lord explained in his gruff voice. Sesshomaru nodded even though he was still utterly confused. InuTaisho quickly took to pacing again until the faint smell of blood filled both demons' noses.

Sesshomaru scrunched up his face and his father ran to the door, almost breaking it down as he barged in. No one could keep this youkai lord from his mate, especially when the scent of her blood filled the air. His eyes immediately found his beloved. Izayoi was lying on silken sheets, gleaming with sweat and yet smiling all the same. In her arms was a tightly wrapped bundle. She looked down at it for a second before offering it up to InuTaisho for his viewing.

Carefully the Lord lifted his youngest child from its mother's arms and brought it to his chest. All around him Izayoi's ladies-in-waiting rushed around and he barely noticed one of them ushering him out the door. He went over and took a seat on a cushion next to his eldest.

"Look Sesshomaru," He instructed as he pushed the silk away from the baby's face. Sesshomaru stood up and leaned over one of his father's arms for a better look.

"Is he my brother??" Sesshomaru looked down on the chubby round face.

"Yes,"

"Why is he only half-demon then??" The inquisitive youngster looked to his Otou for answers.

"He is wonderful, no matter what is in his blood," InuTaisho replied. Choosing to disregard that question and give an answer that praised this new addition the way he should be praised.

"What's his name Otou??" Sesshomaru asked as his eyes roamed over the silver hair, identical to his own, and dog ears that adorned the young face.

"Inuyasha.......... His name is Inuyasha."

A/N: Sorry so short. Tell me what you think and I'll put up the next chappie. I only want one review but more is just fine with me!!! Yours truly;)


	2. Adjusting

Chapter Two

Adjusting

DISCLAIMER: Once again, I do not own Inuyasha or any of the other characters unless otherwise stated, so don't sue.

A/N: I just wanted to give a special shout out to my first reviewer ever!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Chitose-41192, I loved your review so much I almost cried!!

It had been six months since baby Inuyasha was born and almost everyone in Lord InuTaisho's castle had grown accustomed to the pup. All, that is, except Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru had not been allowed to see his brother often after he was born but now the pup was crawling and got just about everywhere.

"Kagia-sama, please go find Sesshomaru and tell him he must be coming in soon; it's getting dark and he needs a bath." Lady Izayoi instructed on of her hand-maidens. The young woman hurried off as InuTaisho entered the room.

"Where is Inuyasha?" He asked calmly as he draped a loving arm around his mate's shoulders.

"I think he's with the cook, koi." InuTaisho nodded at this and got a pensive look on his face.

"Is something the matter??" Izayoi questioned looking up into the amber eyes that she fell in love with some three summers ago.

"Are we really up to it??" His gaze shifted down to her, "Sesshomaru and Inuyasha both. Two pups as rowdy as those two will be hard to handle."

"We will deal with that, koi, when the time comes." She assured him placing a light kiss on his chin.

Elsewhere on Lord InuTaisho's Land

"Young Master Sesshomaru you must come down for your bath!" Kagia yelled up at the pup.

"I don't like baths; therefore I will not take one." Sesshomaru responded as he crossed his arms and turned his head upwards stubbornly.

"Your mother will not be pleased!" Kagia tried to persuade him as she scanned the gardens for someone who might be able to help. Sesshomaru glared down at the young ningen woman.

"I do not have a mother." He growled, making Kagia jump at his tone. Pushing back her dark hair, Kagia turned her back on the boy.

"Suit yourself, but when Lord InuTaisho comes out here looking for you don't blame me." She called back at him as she headed towards the castle.

The sun was setting and this was Sesshomaru's favorite time of day. The brilliant colors of the sky made his breath catch in his throat. He, of course, never told anyone else this for fear his father would find out and tell him how weak this made him seem. At the thought of his father Sesshomaru's countenance darkened.

'_He only cares about that ningen wife of his and their pup.'_ He thought hatefully. He harbored no ill will towards the two but he had had to fight for his father's attention every since she came when he was three. Just as the sun moved so he could no longer see it, there was a movement from the grass below.

Putting up his guard and getting in fighting stance, Sesshomaru leaped from the tree and landed gracefully.

"Who's there??" He growled. The tall grass moved again and a head of white hair emerged.

"Nii-san!!!" Inuyasha cried as he crawled over to his brother.

"You're not supposed to be here." Sesshomaru responded firmly.

"Nii-san??" Inuyasha sensed his big brother's agitation and mistook it for anger. His amber eyes began to tear up and his lip quivered a bit.

Sesshomaru smelt the faint scent of salt and looked down at his brother. Seeing the tears, his heart softened a bit and he picked the baby up. It was awkward at first, since Sesshomaru wasn't that tall himself he had to adjust himself to Inuyasha's weight.

"Don't cry otouto. I'm not mad at you. Just.......... Irritated." Sesshomaru tried to soothe the pup.

"You want me to play a game with you?" Sesshomaru offered trying again to bring the tears to an end. Inuyasha sniffled a bit but nodded up at his brother. Sesshomaru allowed a rare smile to show through as he set the pup down on the grass.

"Okay, otouto, I'll go hide and you come and find me." Sesshomaru instructed. Inuyasha nodded vigorously and watched as Sesshomaru jumped up high and out of his sight.

Going swiftly through the trees Sesshomaru settled on one about three yards from where he left his baby brother.

After twenty minutes Sesshomaru crept out of his hiding spot in search of Inuyasha. He caught his scent and took off in that direction. He looked at the stars and figured they should be heading home or else their father would have his tail, literally.

Finally Sesshomaru slowed his pace only to come upon a full grown demon towering over his frightened brother. He growled menacingly and the youkai turned to face him.

"So this is the Lord's newest son. Some son, this whelp is a hanyou." The demon smirked at Sesshomaru and licked his lips.

"The lord will not be missing you two will he??" The gruff voice seemed to make the ground shake beneath Sesshomaru's feet. Eyeing his brother Sesshomaru made a jump at him and almost made it but the demon's hand swatted him down.

"Leave him alone!" Sesshomaru growled as he got back in fighting stance, ignoring the gash in his shoulder.

"So the pup wants a fight?? That can be arrange, I might work up even more of an appetite." The demon laughed brusquely. While the demon was laughing Sesshomaru made another grab for the sobbing Inuyasha. This time he succeeded.

Luck was not with them, obviously. The demon recovered and began to chase after Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. He even followed them out into the gardens. Sesshomaru's vision began to blur as he leapt blindly towards his home. He was almost sure he'd be on the doorstep in the next leap.

"Not so fast!!" A voice cried out behind them and Sesshomaru was struck from behind and hit the path to the castle hard.

A/N: Sorta a cliffy but that's okay right??dodges rotten vegetables Okay, so maybe not as okay as I thought. I'll post as soon as I can again but I have lotz of math so be patient! Review please!! All I want is one more and I'll be ecstatic!! Thanx so much again to Chitose-41192!


	3. Saved?

A/N: I just about had a heart attack when I saw that I had gotten three, that's right not one, not tow but THREE, new wonderful reviews from wonderful people whom I love! I would hug yall right now if I could! Okay I'm not quite sure where to go with this, lik I have a general direction but if any of my wonderful gracious reviewers have any (reasonable) requests or ideas for conflicts please send them to me! THANX SO MUCH TO: engetsu, StormySkys, and Phoenix Boepple, I love yall so much!!!

Chapter Three: Saved?

_**Last Time**_

_Luck was not with them, obviously. The demon recovered and began to chase after Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. He even followed them out into the gardens. Sesshomaru's vision began to blur as he leapt blindly towards his home. He was almost sure he'd be on the doorstep in the next leap._

"_Not so fast!!" A voice cried out behind them and Sesshomaru was struck from behind and hit the path to the castle hard._

**Inside the Castle**

InuTaisho and Izayoi had been together alone for the first time since Inuyasha was born and both were enjoying the silence greatly. Needless to say, it was short lived.

"My Lord," Kagia bowed deeply as she entered the room. InuTaisho barked softly and the maiden righted herself.

"Lady Izayoi, Young Master Sesshomaru refused to come inside." She reported.

"Where is he?" InuTaisho questioned, a growl developing deep in his throat. Lady Izayoi placed a halting hand on her mate's chest.

"Is he in the gardens?" She questioned. Although Sesshomaru was only her step-son, she knew more about him than most would have guessed.

"Yes, he was when I left him My Lady." Kagia responded obediently.

"Come my love, we will go get him together," Izayoi instructed as her mate followed behind her, "and we will not yell at him this time," She added as an after thought. InuTaisho just growled and followed her into the hall.

To get to the gardens, from the day chamber that Izayoi spent most of the sunlight hours in, took a fairly long time and quite a bit of going down stairs and through hallways, InuTaisho was not one to take the long way around things. After the first flight of stairs in the series of three, he picked her up bridal style and ran down the hall and then jumped down the stairs, repeating this process two more times.

Once to the entrance hall Izayoi headed for the door leading out to the gardens, the side that faced the forest, this was Sesshomaru's favorite. Her hand was almost to the sliding screen dividing her from her divine gardens when InuTaisho jumped forward and picked her up again, this time backing away from the doors.

"Koi, is this really necessary? I think I can walk on my own in the gardens." She pleaded, though her tone was patient. InuTaisho chose not to respond and only nipped at her ear, signaling her to be quiet. Izayoi got the message and silenced her words.

After a minor fraction in time, InuTaisho replaced his mate on the floor.

"Stay here Izayoi." He instructed. She could hear the worry in her voice and did something she rarely did, she questioned his actions.

"What do you smell?" She asked, a tad bit nervous herself.

"Sesshomaru's blood." He replied gravely before pushing past the screen and into the gardens, leaving a very pale Izayoi in his wake.

**In the Gardens**

InuTaisho didn't have to go far to find his wounded son, in fact he could have done it with his eyes closed and without the smell seeing as how loud Inuyasha was wailing by now. His amber eyes shifted to the lizard demon holding his eldest child above his open mouth.

"Akuntaro!!" InuTaisho bellowed just before the demon let Sesshomaru drop into his mouth.

"Lord InuTaisho, what would make you distract me from this delicious meal?" Akuntaro replied carelessly.

"That 'delicious meal' as you call him, happens to be my eldest son," The Lord growled in response, his anger and agitation growing immensely.

"You _dare_ try to consumer your Lord's son??" InuTaisho glared at Akuntaro menacingly and took a few steps forward.

"They were right there ripe and ready for devouring and it does not matter that you happen to be my lord _now_, what about when the king of my lizard clan comes down here to claim this land?" Akuntaro was walking on eggshells now.

"Akuntaro, put down my son _now!_" The last part came out as a growl and a flash of fear stained Akuntaro's grey eyes.

"I supposed you'll make me, huh? Is that is my..." Akuntaro was unable to finish his daring sentence as he had annoyed this inuyoukai far too many times and was now in several pieces.

Regaining control over his fierce temper, Lord InuTaisho scooped up his two pups, one sobbing and one comatose, before he leaped back into his castle.

**Inside, Once Again**

Izayoi was terrified when she heard yelling and the the sound of flesh ripping. She hated blood shed but she would tolerate this because her sons were in danger. When her mate came back in the house relief washed over her, but only briefly. InuTaisho deposited a frightened and weeping Inuyasha in her arms, giving her only a glance at the bloody, passed out body of Sesshomaru.

"Koi, what..." She was cut off by her mate.

"Get Kagia and four of your demon hand-maidens to come up to our room," He interrupted before bounding up the stairs. Izayoi nodded and hurried off, soothing Inuyasha on the way.

By the time Izayoi and the maidens had arrived Sesshomaru was awake and looking much better than before. Still in bloody clothes, the young pup smiled slightly when he saw his otouto had not been harmed. Izayoi set Inuyasha on the bed and went to stand next to her mate.

"He is fine then?" She questioned, barely audible but she was fully aware that both her sons and her mate had heard her clearly. InuTaisho gave a short nod.

"They were attacked by Akuntaro, a lizard demon, unfortunately one without a mind to think of the consequences of messing with my sons," InuTaisho sighed heavily, he barked lightly at Sesshomaru, who nodded in response, and then left the room with his mate trailing him.

"Nii-san??" Inuyasha question as he pressed two of his pudgy fingers onto Sesshomaru's bruised face.

"I'm fine otouto, did Chichiue come save you from that demon?" He tried to make conversation, or at least break silence, with the baby.

"Hai!! Hai!!" Inuyasha nodded happily as he used one of his favorite words, and one of the only ones he could pronounce correctly.

"Good," Sesshomaru nodded back. His ears detected a small sound and he strained them to hear........ it was his father.............and he was...angry?.......no, just a bit aggravated........ because........what??? No!!

Inuyasha saw Sesshomaru's eyes widen with surprise and began to whimper.

"Quiet otouto, nothings wrong," Sesshomaru assured, but to know avail as Inuyasha could sense he was lying.

"They're actually coming?" He murmured to himself. _'They haven't be here since my first summer, why come now?' _He questioned himself. Inuyasha whined loudly and Sesshomaru gave in and told him.

"Chichiue's family is coming to visit," He said gravly, knowing that the pup could understand half the importance of this dire situation.

A/N: WOW!! My third chappie!! And I have four whole reviews(not that I wouldn't except a half) I'm so excited my heart might give out!! Well review and be gentle cause I'm still a beginner. And keep in mind that I have school and soccer during the week so I can't post whenever you guys demand it but I'll try and keep up!! Yours Truly;)


	4. Early

A/N: Okay this one took longer because I'm going through a really hard chapter in my algebra class and my homework takes forever and also with all the hurricanes that like to ruin my life and hard-drive. So I asked for advice or suggestions and got zip, zero, nada! It's alright but I would love to hear some opinions! Well, I'll hop to it now, as to avoid getting hit with any food, rotten or not.

Chapter Four: Early

_. . . . . . . _

_**Last Time**_

"_They're actually coming?" He murmured to himself. 'They haven't be here since my first summer, why come now?' He questioned himself. Inuyasha whined loudly and Sesshomaru gave in and told him._

"_Chichiue's family is coming to visit," He said gravely, knowing that the pup could understand half the importance of this dire situation._

_. . . . . . _

"It won't be that bad. They'll be decent enough to Inuyasha." Izayoi insisted.

InuTaisho and his mate had been arguing about this topic for some time now. His family, or to be more specific, his brothers, sister, and mother were coming to visit.

"Nothing good will become of this, Izayoi. Trust me, they came to see Sesshomaru once and disliked him greatly because his mother and I did not remain together." He protested.

"They will not be that cruel and our sons will do fine, we raised them well."

With that Izayoi left the room. It was almost midnight and she planned on making sure both her pups knew everything was all right and when their Chichiue's family visited, in about four months, they would be fine.

She pushed open the door to Sesshomaru's room and found both boys sitting on the bed.

"Okaa!!" Inuyasha cried out as his mother entered. She returned a smile and sat on the edge of the bed.

"They won't like him," Sesshomaru said solemnly, "they hated me and they will hate him just the same."

"It will be alright this time Sesshomaru, it won't be like before." She assured him as she stood up and patted both boys on the head before scooping up Inuyasha.

"Say goodnight to your Oniichan," Izayoi cooed at her baby.

"Nigh nigh Nii-san," Inuyasha waved.

"Goodnight, otouto. Oyasuminasai, Lady Izayoi," Sesshomaru nodded at the two before they left his room.

"No nigh nigh, Okaa!!" Inuyasha complained on the way to his bedroom.

"Yes, Inuyasha, yes night night." Izayoi argued.

Inuyasha was not very fond of his bedroom. He preferred following his oniichan anywhere and everywhere he went. His mother walked into the room and set her baby down on his bed. Inuyasha let out a loud whine.

"Do you want me to sing tonight Inu-baby?" She questioned raising an eyebrow at him. He stopped whining and nodded. Izayoi smiled and began singing the same song she had sung to him the day he came into this world.

Her gentle voice carried all the way down the hall into Sesshomaru's room. He sighed in comfort, even though she wasn't his true mother she still loved him and her voice soothed him. He rolled over and pushed aside all thoughts off his father's spiteful family before falling into a light slumber.

**_ . . . . . . Three Months Later . . . . . _**

InuTaisho was not in the best of moods. He paced Lady Izayoi's day chamber vigorously.

"I can't believe Hideaki would call a meeting when he knows I have to deal with Taro, Rei, Leiko and my mother in less than a month!" InuTaisho ranted.

"Taro is not so bad," Izayoi offered. InuTaisho just snorted, a very strange sound to hear from a dog demon.

"He's making me and the others meet him halfway, at the center of all the lands. He knows how dangerous it is to leave all of you. His son, after all, did take a human mate," He continued pacing.

"I'll keep the boys inside until you return. Is that better?"

"Barely," He sighed, "but it's a start."

** . . . . . . . . Elsewhere **

Inuyasha's speech had improved greatly and so had his motor skills. He no longer waddled behind Sesshomaru but instead kept a steady pace at his oniisan's side. At the current moment Sesshomaru was going to visit one of his friends, Toshio, who lived not far from his father's palace.

"Fluffy-chan!!" Inuyasha screamed from behind his brother. Sesshomaru stopped just long enough for the pup to catch up.

Inuyasha had taken to calling him Fluffy-chan when his tail grew longer. Sesshomaru was proud of his tail and would not call it fluffy, but allowed his otouto to call him that once in a while.

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said smoothly as he turned to the pup. Inuyasha looked up at his brother and smiled showing his fangs and the few other teeth he had acquired.

"Say 'Sesshomaru'," He made sure to pronounce his name slowly and carefully.

"Fluffy!!" Inuyasha shouted and continued to smile. Sesshomaru knelt down so he was at the childs eye level.

"'Sesshomaru'," He pronounced again. Inuyasha got the feeling his was being serious so he made an effort this time. The pup screwed up his face and tried his best.

"Ses...Sese...Sesshy!!" He struggled before settling with the closest thing to his onii-san's real name.

"Good enough," Sesshomaru flashed a rare smile before lifting up his brother an continuing on his was to Toshio's house.

He passed over a hill and ran the rest of the way to an isolated house.

"Toshio!!" Sesshomaru called as they approached. A young boy with messy black hair emerged from behind the house.

"Sesshomaru!" He shouted back as he friend rushed up.

"This is my otouto, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru introduced as he set Inuyasha down.

"'Shio!! 'Shio!!" Inuyasha waved and did his best to pronounce Toshio's name correctly.

"I didn't know you had a brother Sessho." Toshio responded, flashing a smile towards Inuyasha.

"He can't go far by himself yet so he's never really left our house." Sesshomaru shrugged.

"What do you wanna do?" Toshio questioned.

"Hide an 'eek!! Hide an 'eek!!" Inuyasha screamed from his spot on the ground. Sesshomaru and Toshio exchanged looks. They felt that they were much too old for hide and seek, them not being little kids anymore.

"Wait here Inu." Sesshomaru instructed as he pulled Toshio away from the pup. Once they were out of his hearing range Sesshomaru spoke.

"We'll tell him we're playing and he can hide and we'll go play in the forest like always. I'll find him before we leave; he won't get into much trouble." Sesshomaru suggested. Toshio nodded his approval and the duo ran back to where Inuyasha was waiting.

"Okay otouto, you go hide and me and Toshio will find you." Sesshomaru said as he knelt down in front of his brother.

Inuyasha nodded vigorously before sprinting away as fast as his tiny legs would take him. Sesshomaru and Toshio went in the other direction into the woods to pretend they were hunting.

** . . . . . . . . . 3 Hours Later**

"I gotta go, Toshio. My otou's gone so I have to be home early. I'll come over again another time or you can come and play at my house." Sesshomaru waved.

'_Where would Inuyasha hide??'_ He thought as he began to sniff the air. He found the pups scent and followed it up a hillside and it stopped at the edge of a group of trees.

"Inuyasha??" Sesshomaru called. No one answered so he went through the trees to look. The scent was gone and Sesshomaru was getting worried. _'Maybe I shouldn't have let him go like that'_ He pondered this as he walked and wasn't paying attention when he stepped in mud. Immediately pulling his foot out he wiped it in the grass. He looked ahead to see a small swamp. Bubbles formed at the top in a spot about two yards in front of him and he took fighting stance.

"Fluffy!!!" Inuyahsa shouted as he emerged from the mud, covered from head to toe.

"Inuyasha!!" Sesshomaru lost composure for a moment but regained it andnarrowed his eyes at the pup.

"Get out of there now!!" He shouted back. Inuyasha backed away from his brother, afraid that he might get in trouble for playing in the mud.

"I sorry Nii-san, me just wanna play in the......." His sentence was cut off when he slipped into the deeper mud of the center of the swamp.

"Otouto!!" Sesshomaru called out before jumping in after his brother. His hands moved erratically in the mud as he searched for his baby brother. He finally found Inuyasha's hair and pulled it up so he could grab his brother's body. Securing an arm around the pups stomach he pulled both of them to the surface and out of the mud. Inuyasha coughed up mud and made faces at the taste as he caught his breath.

"Otouto," Sesshomaru sighed with his eyes closed and one of them twitching, "let's go home." He finished, picking up Inuyasha and walking towards their home.

He broke out into a run halfway there and they were back in no time. His step mother's voice carried out to him and he could tell she was straining to remain as polite as she usually was. Interested Sesshomaru pushed open the front door with his foot to be greeted by a disturbing site.

His uncles, aunt, and grandmother all standing before his step-mother looking extremely peeved.

"So these are the whelps my brother calls his sons," Leiko scoffed.

"Covered in mud? This is not to be accepted," Nozomi shook her head, "And where is my son?" she demanded.

"Obaa-san, Otou had to leave but he'll be back in five days at the most." Sesshomaru said bravely as he walked over next to Izayoi. Nozomi snorted.

"We'll find our own rooms." Rei announced as he Nozomi, and Leiko headed up the stairs with their baggage.

"I'm sorry about them and just ask me if you need help with anything while InuTaisho is away." Taro apologized before following them.

Izayoi turned to her sons, relieved that encounter was over. As if reading her mind Sesshomaru spoke almost exactly what she was thinking.

"We'll go take a bath and I'll keep him in my room for now." He nodded at her before leaving while trying to quietly console a trembling Inuyasha.

Izayoi walked to her room and collapsed on her bed. It had been a long day and she didn't even want to begin to question why both her sons were coated in a thick layer of mud.

** . . . . . . . . . . . . **

A/N: Sorry once again for the wait but I lost inspiration for a bit but I have a good idea so I shall continue. Don't forget to review!! Yours Truly!


	5. Not So Silent Tormentors

**A/N: Sorry took so long!! And the rating went up due to language used in this chapter. Enjoy!!**

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha nor will I ever own Inuyasha, and that my friends, sniff is the sad, sad truth.

Chapter Five: Not-So-Silent Tormenters

**_. . . . . . . . . . . . Last Time . . . . . . . . . ._**

_Izayoi walked to her room and collapsed on her bed. It had been a long day and she didn't even want to begin to question why both her sons were coated in a thick layer of mud._

**. . . . . . . Present Chapter. . . . . . .**

Sesshomaru carried a sleepy Inuyasha downstairs to the dinning room. He would have preferred to take meals in his room but didn't want to give his family the satisfaction.

"No mud this morning?" Nozomi sneered at her grandchildren as they approached.

"Good morning Obaa-san," Sesshomaru nodded trying to remain polite.

"Obaa.." Inuyasha muttered under his breath, as if getting used to the word.

"So the runt can talk. All he seemed to be doing last night was crying. I could hear him all the way in my room," Rei remarked glaring as Sesshomaru sat on his usual cushion placing Inuyasha at his side.

"That's odd because Inuyasha went straight to sleep after his bath," Sesshomaru responded, knowing full well that his uncle couldn't hear anything from his room on the opposite side of the house.

Rei flushed and was suddenly very interested in his oden. Izayoi gave Sesshomaru a small smile from her spot beside him and he returned the gesture, but just briefly. Breakfast was finished in silence and then everyone went the separate ways. Sesshomaru took Inuyasha out to the gardens to avoid trouble. There was a small hole in the ground that spouted out warm water every now and then. His father had said that when he was young the water was scalding hot and it was just cooling down now but Sesshomaru had his doubts.

"No like Obaa-san," Inuyasha said immediately after Sesshomaru had set him down outside.

"I don't either but she'll be here for a while so learn to ignore her," Sesshomaru advised.

Inuyasha shrugged and sat down next to his Onii-san. They just sat there together, for a few moments, in a comfortable silence, happy to be away from their relatives. That, of course, could not last long.

"Hello my dear nephews," Leiko cooed in a sugary sweet voice. Sesshomaru's eyes drifted lazily to her face, clearly stating that he didn't want to be anywhere near her.

"Come on now, that's no way to greet your auntie," She frowned as she strode over to a stone bench in front of the boys.

"I saw your mother last week," Leiko stated, pretending to be casual. Sesshomaru's eyes darkened and Inuyasha looked up at his brother in question.

"She's mated now. To a wonderful inuyoukai at that, his color isn't white like our bloodline though, more of a brownish. Quite handsome if you ask me," Now she was just trying to get him worked up.

"She is not my mother," Sesshomaru stated firmly, catching Leiko off guard.

"Oh, well then, who is?" She asked, interested. Sesshomaru hesitated, if he didn't answer she'd just go on about how he only has one parent and how disgraceful that is but if he said Lady Izayoi then she'd tease him about her. He was beyond caring now.

"Lady Izayoi is my mother," He responded not braking eye contact.

"She is? A ningen woman? How nurturing could she be to a youkai pup," Leiko scoffed.

"She's a hell of a lot nicer then you and Obaa," Sesshomaru retorted.

"Well, aren't we just perfect? Perfect life, perfect family, oh but wait," She put her hand to her mouth in faux shock, "you have a ningen mother and hanyou brother." She spat.

Sesshomaru glared at her. He might not be completely happy with his family but no one was to make fun of them on his watch.

"Inuyasha is a better brother than Rei, the bastard," Sesshomaru said defensively as he stood up.

"You dare insult your uncle?" Leiko questioned him.

"You don't care about us so why don't you just leave. My father dislikes just as much if not more and my okaa-san is under enough stress without you ingrates around to make her worry," Sesshomaru shouted, surprising himself by referring to Izayoi as his okaa.

"We're here to check up on InuTaisho, you know Rei wants this land. You'll be sorry when it's taken from you," She warned before getting up to walk away.

Inuyasha stood up with fire in his eyes and looked to his brother before yelling at his aunt.

"Bastard!!" He screamed after her. Sesshomaru almost laughed at how funny it sounded coming from his mouth. Leiko stopped a moment as if contemplating whether or not to turn around but in the end she kept walking.

"No like 'Leeko'," Inuyasha frowned at his brother after struggling with his aunt's name.

"Well, Leiko is not a very nice person but I would love to have seen her face when you called her a bastard," Sesshomaru smiled down at the pup. Just then the water squirted out from the hole and Inuyasha ran to play in it, pulling Sesshomaru with him.

**. . . . . . Inside the Castle . . . . . . **

Izayoi had gone to InuTaisho's study after breakfast to find a book to read. Her mate loved reading but his interests were limited to action and adventure so Izayoi had to send away for scrolls with romace stories on them. She was browsing through them when the screen to the study slid open harshly.

"Izayoi, is this where you spend your days?" Nozomi questioned as her eyes scanned the room.

"No, I'm usually in my day chamber but I was looking for a book to read," Izayoi responded as she continued her search.

"You should not have to read. You should have someone reading to you. One of the perks of being married to a youkai lord," Nozomi said as she walked over to Izayoi.

"You need to take better care of those whelps too," Her tone was malicious now, "Leiko came to me and said they were using foul language and disrespecting their elders," Nozomi reported.

"I've never known either of them to do so but I'll look into it. As for taking care of my _children _I have had no complaints until you visited and both boys are growing up fine so I suggest you keep any further comments on my style of parenting to yourself Lady Nozomi," Izayoi retorted before grabbing a book and heading to her day chamber, leaving a stunned Nozomi in her wake.

Izayoi was shocked at herself. She barely ever lost her temper but this was one of those rare things that really nagged at her nerves. Nozomi had insulted her, told her that she was a bad mother in a round about way, and this was something Izayoi could not stand. If it was hard raising children in poverty then it was twice as hard raising them when they have everything they want at their beck and call. She was struggling to teach both boys to be selfless instead of selfish and Nozomi had the nerve to tell her she wasn't doing it right. Taking a deep breath, Izayoi sat down and began reading.

About halfway through the scroll she heard a noise outside her window. She walked over and as she got closer she recognized it as Inuyasha'a giggles. She looked down and saw a sopping wet Sesshomaru looking not at all pleased and a little ball of white rolling on the ground which she suspected was Inuyasha.

"Nii-san wet!!" Inuyasha giggled.

"That was not funny otouto," Sesshomaru replied, but Izayoi could tell he wasn't angry.

"Funny!! Funny!! Yes, funny Fluffy!!" Inuyasha continued to laugh and even Izayoi let out a chuckle. Sesshomaru gave up and picked up Inuyasha, giving him a big hug to get his wet too. Inuyasha let out a scream and Sesshomaru laughed and set him down.

Both boys continued laughing and playing in the water as Izayoi went back to her seat. She wished her mate was here to see moments like this. Sometimes he was so set on the fact that Sesshomaru was depressed from being abandoned by his mother and that the boy purposely acted out for attention that he didn't really see Sesshomaru, he just saw an image.

"He's not that bad koi; just wait till you get home." Izayoi murmured to herself before resuming her reading.

**. . . . . . . . . Downstairs. . . . . . . . .**

"They're all so stubborn and hateful," Leiko pouted, "When I mate I'm going to come down here and fight InuTaisho for this land."

"I thought we agreed I'd get the land?!" Rei protested.

"Stop acting like pups!" Nozomi ordered, "No one will have this land as long as InuTaisho rules it and I forbid any of you from killing him!" She stressed.

"Okaa but those pups of his are so foul. May we kill them?" Leiko pondered out loud.

"Are you insane?!?! InuTaisho would have your head on a silver platter if you so much as breathed wrong around those boys!" Taro reminded her. "Why can't we just leave, nothing's going to be accomplished."

"Always the optimist, aren't we?" Rei said sarcastically.

"We'll be here for three more days. InuTaisho should be back tomorrow." Nozomi stated. "Now try not to be mean to those whelps and, Taro, stop trying to interfere."

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Early the Next Day. . . . . . . . . . .**

Izayoi waited in the gardens for InuTaisho. He hadn't expected to stay long and said he'd be back early today. It was just before sunrise and she couldn't wait to be reunited with her mate.

"Koi," A voice whispered behind her. She didn't even have to turn around to confirm her suspicions. She leaned back against him and he nuzzled her neck.

"I missed you, mate." She mumbled.

"And I you," He said as he kissed her neck.

"Your mother, Taro, Rei, and Leiko are here," She informed him reluctantly. He stiffened a bit but calmed down.

"I could smell them," He sighed, "and I could smell the two of you hiding over there." He said a bit louder and Sesshomaru and Inuyasha fell out of a bush.

"Otou!!" Inuyasha screamed and leaped into his father's arms. Sesshomaru walked over to them slowly and mumbled a hello.

"Have I missed anything important?" InuTaisho smiled at his sons. Inuyasha smiled back.

"Leeko bastard." He stated proudly and InuTaisho's face faltered and Izayoi's took on a look of horror.

"Where did you hear that word Inuyasha?" She demanded.

"Nii-san said it," He responded smiling at his brother. Izayoi shifted her gaze to Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru, where did you pick up such language?" She asked, still appalled that either boy was using the word.

"Chichiue said it one day when he was talking about Rei and he also called Leiko a slut and said that they should all be dammed to..." He couldn't finish as InuTaisho had clamped a hand over his son's mouth and was looking worriedly at his mate.

"That's more than enough Sesshomaru," InuTaisho nodded at him and picked him up so he was holding both of his pups.

"I think I'll take them inside and, what did you say your parents did Izayoi, oh yeah, wash their mouths out with soap," He smiled wanly.

"I don't think they're the ones in need of punishment InuTaisho," She said narrowing her eyes at him, "How could you speak like that in front of Sessho when you know how impressionable he is and that he'd repeat that to Inuyasha who, of course, would repeat it again and again??" She ranted.

"I'm sorry, koi. I didn't think he'd repeat it and I was mad and didn't take a lot of time to notice Sesshomaru playing with some scrolls in the corner." He confessed.

"Well, as punishment, you have to spend an entire week going everywhere with both boys, and the boys are not allowed to leave our lands for those seven days." She said sternly. InuTaisho's face dropped but he said nothing as he walked back to the castle.

"InuTaisho!! My baby!!" Nozomi screeched as they entered the dinning room. She ran up to him and, ignoring the fact he was holding two pups, hugged him tight. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha were squished and feared that if Nozomi didn't let go that they'd both suffocate. Acting fast Sesshomaru nipped his father's arm lightly to remind him that they were there and were lacking oxygen. InuTaisho go the hint.

"Mother, you're going to kill my pups if you don't let go," He warned. She held on for a few more seconds before releasing him. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha were almost blue and both were gasping for air. When she saw they were virtually unharmed her face fell a bit.

"Can't a mother be excited to see her son after six years?" She frowned.

"Oh course Mother," He smiled through clenched teeth.

"I receive no hospitality here," She complained, "Your sister was talking with Sesshomaru about Kei and he denied the fact that she was his mother and instead referred to your ningen wife as his okaa-san. Obviously your children have no respect, especially that hanyou and his dirty mouth," She turned up her nose.

"You are my okaa-san and in some way I'm sure I love you but you will not be permitted to stay in this castle or on my lands if you do not show respect to my family. As for their behavior, to get respect you must earn it and my family has tried to be hospitable but you are too disagreeable mother," InuTaisho reprimanded.

Nozomi was taken aback. This was the first time any of her pups had spoken back to her.

"I gave you life InuTaisho!! If this is how you wish to treat me then I have no clue what happened to the son I knew and loved, but your siblings and I will be gone in a matter of two days, until then I hope we can all get along." Her tone was stuffy and full of feigned hurt.

"I do too, Mother," InuTaisho nodded, "Now, say good morning to your Obaa-san, boys," InuTaisho instructed.

"Morning Obaa-san," They chorus and Nozomi flashed a forced smile before leaving the dinning room.

"I'll talk to the cook about breakfast for the whole family," Izayoi smiled, "Boys, you take a bath and I guess your Chichiue's coming in there too," She said, still grinning.

Twenty minutes later the whole family was downstairs seated around the table. Rei looked quite peeved to find out that he would not be receiving his older brother's land and he and Leiko had been finding miniscule reasons to start fights all morning.

"Excuse me," Taro nodded as he got up from the table, "I cannot sit here with all of you knowing what was to go on had my younger brother not returned. It has been wonderful visiting with you and your family and seeing my nephews but I think I shall go back to my home, InuTaisho." Taro explained. InuTaisho nodded his consent.

Nozomi appeared unfazed but her other two pups let shock show clearly on their faces as Taro left the room.

"Why does he get to leave early?" Leiko whined, forgetting she was still in the presence of InuTaisho and his family.

"I never even wanted to be here since you promised to give Rei his lands," She blurted out.

"My lands are not going to anyone," InuTaisho stated resolutely.

"Your sister must be delusional! I would never dream of taking away your lands InuTaisho!" Nozomi stood to defend herself. "Though they would be being run better had you stayed together with Kei," She added as an afterthought.

"Mother," InuTaisho warned as he closed his eyes and one began to twitch.

"You promised me though!!" Rei yelled, getting into the conversation.

"It's alright pups. We'll get someone to help you over these problems when we return home," She said in an attempt to get them to shut up.

"Which will be sooner than expected seeing as you'll all have left by mid-afternoon," InuTaisho commanded.

His feuding family stared at him before filing out of the dinning room in defeat.

"No more Leeko!!" InuYasha shouted.

"No more. No more. No more." He shook his head, smiling.

"Since they are leaving, InuTaisho, do you think I could have one of my friends over? She's a demon and her mate and pups would have to come too, but they'd get along with Sessho and InuYasha just fine." Izayoi smiled weakly.

InuTaisho was tired and had no desire to argue.

"Fine, but they can't come for at least a week. I've got enough to deal with for now," He sighed. Izayoi smiled and continued eating her breakfast.

**. . . . . . .A/N. . . . . . .**

**I am so sorry that it took me this long!! I know you guys probably hate me now and plus I haven't even begun the next chappie!! I had a whole lot of homework and basically no spare time and then I got sick!! I'll try for better next time! Please review! Yours Truly.**


	6. Surprise Visitors

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha or anything seen in the anime or manga that is used in this story. I do, however, own Sensei, Ronin, Kameko, Hana, Taku, Toshiro, and Hisa! Hey, at least I've accomplished something!!

**Chapter 6**

**Surprise Visitors**

**_. . . . . .. .Last Chapter . . . . . . . ._**

"_Since they are leaving, InuTaisho, do you think I could have one of my friends over? She's a demon and her mate and pups would have to come too, but they'd get along with Sessho and InuYasha just fine." Izayoi smiled weakly._

_InuTaisho was tired and had no desire to argue. _

"_Fine, but they can't come for at least a week. I've got enough to deal with for now," He sighed. Izayoi smiled and continued eating her breakfast._

**_. . . . . . . .Present Chapter. . . . . . . . ._**

The week seemed to fly by and InuTaisho was as tired as ever, having to follow his boys around was no easy job.

"Koi," Izayoi called as she walked down the hallway. It was the end of the week and she wanted to see if InuTaisho had survived.

"In here," His gruff voice responded.

She pushed away the reeds and entered his den. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were in the corner playing with wooden katanas.

"I just got word from Kameko. She said that they'd be happy to come for a visit, but they could only stay for about three days," Izayoi informed him as she took a seat on a cushion near the boys.

Sesshomaru, being almost seven, had the advantage over Inuyasha and was able to fling the katana out of the pup's hands. Unfortunately, it hit InuTaisho in the head.

Trying to remain calm, InuTaisho tilted his head down and let out a sigh, while trying to calm the twitch he had developed in his left eye.

"Sorry Chichiue," Sessho murmured as he went to pick up the katana.

"That's okay Sessho-kun, your otou is just overworked," Izayoi soothed.

"Sometimes those boys can be too much, koi," InuTisho sighed again.

"I wish we had three," Izayoi added to herself.

"What?!?" InuTaisho stared wide-eyed at his mate.

"Well, Inu-kun isn't a baby and neither is Sessho-kun, and Kameko just had a girl a month ago, her name is Hana.

"That's nice, but I doubt her mate would let her travel with a new pup," InuTaisho stated, "We haven't traveled anywhere since Inuyasha and the same with Sesshomaru, there was just too much of a risk and don't go expecting anymore pups for a long while." He added the last aprt as an afterthought.

"She doesn't have to go far, and her mate and two sons will be along too," She turned to Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, who had stopped fighting and were listening to their parents, "Ronin is just a month older than you, Sessho, and Kouga is about three or four months older than you, Inu-kun, so you all should get along nicely. I think Hana will just stay inside with us," Izayoi smiled ignoring InuTaisho's little comment about having more pups.

"When are they coming?" InuTaisho questioned, looking up from his work.

"Tomorrow," Izayoi grinned, "I can't wait for you too meet her mate, maybe you two can spend some time together."

"Keh," InuTaisho looked back to his work.

Sesshomaru glanced from his father to his step-mother before exiting the room, not alone obviously.

"Fluffy-chan, what is a Kouga?" Inuyasha question as he followed his nii-san up some stairs.

"He is not a what. He is Okaa-san's friend's second son." Sesshomaru corrected.

"Ohhh, and why he older than me?"

"He just is,"

"Why would he wanted to be, though?"

"He didn't _want_ to be, he just _happens_ to be,"

"But why??" Inuyasha whined.

"I don't know, okay." Sesshomaru growled at the pup, trying to keep his voice down.

Inuyasha was silent as he followed Sesshomaru the rest of the way to his bedroom. It was just after lunch and the sky had darkened and thunder could be heard.

"I was going to go see Toshiro but okaa-san won't let me go now," Sessho sighed as he collapsed on his bed. Inuyasha sat on the floor and looked at his nii-san.

"Young Master Sesshomaru," A voice called from the door. Sesshomaru looked and recognized one of Izayoi's new hand-maidens, Hisa.

"Yes,"

"Your okaa-san has arranged for jujitsu training since it is raining, the samurai is waiting in the day room on the first floor," Hisa informed before bowing and leaving the room.

'_A samurai for jujitsu? Must have been Chichiue's idea,'_ Sesshomaru concluded as he went to the directed room, unaware that his permanent shadow was right behind him.

Inuyasha jogged about seven paces behind his brother trying not to get lost in the winding hallways. After what seemed like forever Sesshomaru enter a room and Inuyasha silently followed behind him.

"Good evening Master Sesshomaru," the samurai bowed "You may call me sensei."

Sesshomaru nodded and bowed in return. Sensei then turned around and picked up a white gi and handed it to Sesshomaru.

"Your mother requested that you not sully your red and white hakama so I provide these for all my students. Will your friend be needing one too?" Sensei inquired.

Sesshomaru was busy looking at his new clothes but was startled back to reality by the mention of a friend. He sniffed the air and didn't even have to turn around to figure out who Sensei was talking about.

"Otouto, get out here now!" Sesshomaru was more surprised in himself for not noticing his brother's scent all along than he was irritated at Inuyasha.

"I sorry Nii-san, me just wanted to see whats you was doing," Inuyasha sniffed, afraid his nii-san was angry.

Sesshomaru sighed and turned to Sensei.

"Is it okay if he watches? He won't get in the way," He questioned. Sensei nodded.

"That will be the first thing we work on,"

"What?" Sesshomaru asked, confused.

"Your senses, they are strong, no doubt there, but you need to be able to pick up on every little thing. Especially when you father leaves to meet with the other Lords, then you will have to protect your okaa and your otouto."

Sesshomaru just stood there for a moment, stunned at all that would fall on him if his father was called to another meeting. What if they were attacked? His okaa-san came from a long line of mikos but they were not sure if she was one yet and Inuyasha, well he could take on minor demons but nothing serious. A sudden urge to show that he was good enough, to prove to his father that he was strong and to make his father proud washed over him.

"Are you ready to begin?" Sensei questioned. Sesshomaru nodded.

Their session lasted five hours and the whole time Sesshomaru found his attention divided. Mostly he focused on his Sensei but he would often glance at Inuyasha or sniff the air to assure himself that his brother was still there in one piece. Inuyasha didn't take notice of how watchful Sesshomaru was being, he was much too busy trying to mimic Sensei's moves and become just as skilled as Sesshomaru would.

At the end of the lesson Sessho was on his way up to his room and was ambushed by three of Izayoi's handmaidens and forced into a bath, all the while kicking and screaming. Once washed, clean, and thoroughly aggravated he started to head back towards his initial target, his room.

Inuyasha had been waiting down the hall from the bath chamber and ran up to Sesshomaru just as he started down the hall.

"Nii-san!! Nii-san!!! The Kouga is here!!!!" He yelled as he jumped onto Sesshomaru's back, sending them both to the floor and then rolling down a nearby flight of stairs.

"What do you mean? They aren't coming till tomorrow," Sesshomaru corrected as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Not uh! They're all here now and in the dinner place with Okaa and Otou and they brought the Kouga with them Sessho!!! They brought the Kouga with them!!!" He yelled again sounding frantic.

"Fine, but if they are here then why hasn't Chichiue called us?" Sesshomaru questioned his otouto.

"Sesshomaru!!!!" InuTaisho's voice boomed through the hallway, "Get Inuyasha and come to Izayoi's day chamber!"

Inuyasha visibly paled, he had never met anyone from outside their lands who was a demon and not related to him. Sesshomaru saw this and plucked Inuyasha from his place on the floor and began walking as fast as he could to the day chamber. With the burden of his brother it took three minutes longer than it should have but they made it. When they entered the room he set Inuyasha down and the pup immediately hid behind his nii-san's leg.

"Sesshomaru this is Taku, Kameko and their pups Ronin, Kouga, and Hana, they'll be staying with us for a while," InuTaisho gave them a forced smile.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .A/N**

Okay that's all for now. I am so sorry that it's short and that it took so long but I didn't know what direction I should go with the story. If you any suggestions ANY at all I'm willing to listen and maybe incorporate them into the story, and also, constructive criticism is in high demand so if you have any corrections or ideas feel free to vice them. Yours Truly.


	7. Just The Same

DISCLAIMER: I do not nor will I ever own anything seen in this fiction that is from the Inuyasha manga and/or anime. Although, I do own a few choice original characters, so I can say that I have accomplished something. Please refrain from suing me until I become a multi-billionaire (that could take a while :) )

Chapter Seven

Just The Same

_**. . . . . .Last Time. . . . . . .**_

"_Sesshomaru this is Taku, Kameko and their pups Ronin, Kouga, and Hana, they'll be staying with us for a while," InuTaisho gave them a forced smile._

**_. . . . . .Present Chapter. . . . . . . ._**

After directing Kagia to show their guests to their rooms Lady Izayoi returned to her bed chambers and her very irate mate.

"Koi," He began as she entered, his voice quivering as if he was holding back, "I know I agreed to have your friends come and stay but………… I take it back!!!" He yelled the last part.

"You were fine before. What happened?" Izayoi questioned, astonished at her husbands change of heart.

"It never occurred to me that Kameko's mate was Taku. Not that this is a bad thing, it's just the little fact that I cannot _stand_ Taku."

"He's not that bad from what I used to hear before they got together. He's a decent enough demon," She assured.

"He's an ignorant, biased, self-centered…"

"Those are not very nice things to say about our guests," Izayoi reprimanded, raising her voice a bit and not caring that she interrupted her mate. "Treat them with respect, no matter how much you despise Taku. Set an example for the pups."

InuTaisho sighed heavily and nodded. He was not one to give in easily, or without a long, drawn-out argument but he was very tired and no matter what, it was always hard for him to argue forcefully with Izayoi.

Smiling, she embraced her mate and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek.

"Go check on the boys before you come to bed," She said, still in his arms, "Inuyasha is probably in Sessho's room. He looked so scared this afternoon when he met Kameko. I wish I knew why."

**. . . . . . . Elsewhere. . . . . . . **

"That Kouga isn't too big. Do you think I can take him? I don't like him, he smells funny," Inuyasha voiced his thoughts to his nii-san.

"Don't go plotting to attack Kouga. Okaa-san won't be very happy to find out that you hate him so much you wanted to beat him up."

Inuyasha crawled onto Sesshomaru's bed and sat right next to his brother's head. Sesshomaru had been lying with his eyes closed and his hands cradling his head and he sensed his brother looming over him.

"Do you not like the Ronin either?"

"I don't know. I haven't really talked to him."

"Ohh."

It was silent for a moment. The reeds at the entrance were pushed aside and in walked InuTaisho. Inuyasha perked up a bit and ran in to his father's embrace.

"Hello Inuyasha," InuTaisho smiled slightly, "Sesshomaru." He nodded at his eldest, who was now sitting at the top of his bed.

"Your mother has the strange notion that you were scared today when you met her friend Kameko. Is that true?" InuTaisho asked as he sat Inuyasha on the bed.

"No, I just don't like the Kouga," Inuyasha stated plainly.

"You don't like the Kouga?" Inutaisho repeated it back, more like a question. Inuyasha nodded.

"Well, you don't know him. Maybe tomorrow you'll become friends," He stated optimistically. Inuyasha frowned, but his otou didn't notice.

"Tomorrow will be better," He said, "Goodnight Sessho, goodnight Inu."

And just as quickly as he came, he left. Inuyasha plopped down next to Sesshomaru and pouted while his older brother sat in shock.

Had his father just called him by an affectionate nickname? This couldn't be real. No one but Izayoi had ever called him that.

"Nii-san…….Nii-san…….." Inuyasha's ever persistent voice was getting louder, "FLUFFY!!"

"What!?" Sesshomaru snapped.

"You weren't talking, you needs to talk to me so we can go nigh nigh. So say nigh nigh to me, Fluffy, so me can go to sleep," Inuyasha commanded. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes.

"Goodnight otouto."

"Nigh nigh Fluffy."

**. . . . . . . The Next Day. . . . . . . **

That morning Sesshomaru had to get Hisa to deliver breakfast to his room seeing as Inuyasha was determined to stay glued to him and also avoid 'The Kouga' at the same time. After dining on the floor and getting dressed Sesshomaru finally convinced Inuyasha to go down to the gardens.

"No one is going to jump out of anywhere. Now let's go," Sesshomaru assured the jumpy pup as they walked down the hall. Inuyasha ignored him and stuck to the walls as he crept down the hallways. Someone exited a room just in front of Inuyasha and startled him. The scared pup jumped into his brother's arms and the shocked maid fled back into the room, dropping the laundry she had been holding.

Covering up laughs, Sesshomaru carried the shaking bundle down to the gardens without any further incidents. Once in the gardens Inuyasha began running through bushes and up trees like he hadn't been outside in forever.

"Hide seek!! Hide seek!!" Inuyasha shrieked up at his brother.

"Fine, fine. I'll hide and you come find me, but first count as high as you can…." Rethinking that Sesshomaru corrected himself, "Count as high as you can twice, then go look for me."

Inuyasha nodded and smiled as Sesshomaru sped off. Out of many games hide and seek was Inuyasha's favorite but Sesshomaru could help but notice that this game brought a lot of trouble along with it.

Taking refuge in a tree, Sesshomaru scouted the area to find his brother. He caught his scent and clamed down, relaxing to enjoy the day.

It had barely been ten minutes when Inuyasha's scent changed. Sesshomaru's ears perked up and he sat alert. Fear was now the main scent emanating off of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru knew something bad had happened. Forgetting the game, he took off in the direction of his otouto.

**. . . . . . . . With Inuyasha . . . . . . **

After counting to twenty twice all the while leaving out a few numbers and messing up the order of others, Inuyasha opened his eyes and began his search for Sesshomaru.

He went up a few apple trees, and fell out of some. He was in the middle of weaving in and out of his mother's favorite bushes trying to catch a whiff of Sesshomaru's scent when he ran into something. He fell flat on his butt.

"Hey, you shouldn't…" He lost his voice when he looked up. It was Ronin. That meant that the Kouga could be nearby. His amber eyes scanned the area and landed on the small wolf youkai. Fear was coursing threw his veins but he didn't let it show.

"He shouldn't what?" Kouga sneered at the pup.

"He shouldn't just stand in the bushes like that when normal people are running through them playing games," Inuyasha shot back, even though his explanation made no sense.

"Sure. Babies like you should stay inside with their okaa's," Kouga informed him as he turned his nose up.

Sesshomaru chose that moment to show up, landing directly in between Inuyasha and Kouga.

"Well at least he would know to be polite to his host when he's a guest at someone's house," Sesshomaru spoke sternly.

"Don't talk to my brother like that, mutt," Ronin spoke up for the first time, "Your half-breed of a brother was out of line running into guests like that without apologizing."

"Well, this happens to be his home and he can do as he pleases, even if it means running into insignificant guests. And as for that weak comment about his blood, he's twice as smart and strong, if not more than that dirty little wolf you call your little brother," Sesshomaru quipped.

Inuyasha was now standing beside his nii-san, and the wolf brothers were in the same position. Inuyasha was no longer as scared of the Kouga as he had been before.

"Yeah? Well let's see. Your half-breed brother against Kouga," Ronin suggested. Sesshomaru looked down at Inuyasha who was glaring fiercely at Kouga.

"Fine, if they agree, but no claws or fangs," Sesshomaru shot a warning look at Kouga. Ronin nodded and the two younger pups stepped forward and began circling each other.

Kouga made the first move and lunged at Inuyasha. In moments they were just a ball of blurred brown and white hair. They were rolling on the ground wrestling and it was hard to tell who had the upper hand. Their older brothers followed wherever they rolled, watching carefully. Suddenly a yelp was heard and the boys rolled to the left leaving little trickles of blood in their wake.

Startled, Sesshomaru did the only thing he could think of, he smelt the blood. It was Inuyasha's. His eyes flashed red when he saw the approving smirk on Ronin's face. Growling he jumped into the brawl and pulled the pups apart, throwing Kouga to his brother's feet. He held Inuyasha out in front of him and looked him over.

A bite mark was on his left arm, a few minor bruises here and there, and a split lip. Kouga was in a similar condition, minus the bite.

"I said no fangs," Sesshomaru barked at Kouga after setting Inuyasha down behind him.

"Well, what can I say, kids don't always play by the rules," Ronin answered for his brother with a shrug. His face gave him away and Sesshomaru knew that some part of this had been planned.

"You lying, cheating, mangy wolfs!" He yelled, "You took advantage of a pup. I hope you're proud of yourself!" This comment was directed at Ronin, who stepped forward as if challenging Sesshomaru. They began to circle each other the same way their younger counterparts had done not much earlier.

"Sesshy, don't fight, otou will be mad at we if he finds out," Inuyasha warned.

Sesshomaru agreed in his head, but his body wasn't cooperating. Ronin pounced and the boys went at it for at least fifteen minutes, neither one holding back. They were still wrestling when they heard footsteps. They didn't stop but rolled away from the sound.

"Otou, me sorry," Inuyasha apologized, then glanced at Sesshomaru, "We sorry." He corrected.

InuTaisho and Taku pulled their respective sons apart.

"Sesshomaru, what were you thinking?" InuTaisho asked, trying to remain calm.

"He was insulting Inuyasha and then Inu and Kouga started fighting but there wasn't supposed to be any fangs or claws cause I don't want him to get hurt but that stupid wolf pup didn't listen and he bit Otouto, so I yelled at them and then we started fighting and that stupid, ugly, smelly wolf!! It's all his fault!!" Sesshomaru explained screming the last part. Inuyasha nodded vigorously.

Sighing, InuTaisho set Sesshomaru down, careful not to let his open wounds touch the ground.

"Taku, it looks like we've got a problem," He said as he approached the wolf demons.

"I'll say we do! From what I've heard your sons attacked my boys out of no where," Taku responded looking quite aggravated.

"Inuyasha and Sesshomaru would do no such thing. That is an entirely different story from what I heard. To my knowledge it was both of our elder sons that arranged for the younger two to fight but Kouga violated the rules and angered Sesshomaru which led to the second fight," InuTaisho stated as calmly as he could.

"My sons are very obedient and would never defy rules like that. You must be mistaken. It was probably that hanyou that did it," Taku accused.

InuTaisho was fuming now.

"Well, you wolfs are a disgrace I don't see why I bothered. You listen to reason just as well as you follow rules. Kameko-san must be nicer and very tolerant seeing as she puts up with this every day and night. I now realize why Inuyasha was scared of that idiot Kouga and his retard brother. All three of you radiate stupidity and that's a smell that Inuyasha's not used to. I think you're all smelly cheaters."

Everyone's eyes were wide as were their mouths as they saw who this speech had come from. He may have been loud but never had he voiced his opinion like this. Sesshomaru stood out of breath and red in the face as all eyes fell on him. He turned around and looked up at his father.

"I'll take Inuyasha inside and we'll wait in your den," He stated before picking up his younger brother. Kouga came out of shock just as Sesshomaru started toward the house.

"Go ahead and take your stupid half-breed inside to his okaa, he was a baby anyway if he wasn't prepared for that bite!"

Ronin's eyes went wide and he clamped a hand on his brother's loud mouth as both full grown demons looked down on them.

Sesshomaru smirked as he entered the house and headed for his father's den.

Izayoi, Kameko, and Hana were all in the den. The older two were crouched over scrolls reading aloud when the boys entered. Izayoi looked up and then jumped from her seat, rushing to her sons.

"Sessho-kun, what happened??" She asked worriedly as she took Inuyasha from his arms.

"We got in a fight," HE answered.

"With Ronin??" Kameko asked solemnly. Sesshomaru nodded.

"And Kouga," Inuyasha added. Izayoi touched the bite mark on her baby's arm and then and big gash running down Sesshomaru's arm.

"Both of you into the bathroom now," Izayoi ordered. The boys followed their okaa-san with a few handmaidens trailing behind them.

They stood still as they were cleaned up.

"I don't know what got into you two, fighting with our guests? Oh, and Inuyasha, your eye will be purple for a while now. And no manner of that quick healing you always have will make this gash disappear over night, Sesshomaru," Izayoi fussed and rambled as she helped wrap up first Inuyasha's arm and then Sesshomaru's, and some number of various other cuts adorning her eldest son's body.

A noise was heard from InuTaisho's den and Inuyasha and Sesshomaru could smell that Taku and their father had brought Kouga and Ronin to their mother. Kameko responded in a similar way to Izayoi. She gasped, then comforted, before she ordered them to a bathroom where she could scold them and bandage their wounds.

InuTaisho entered the bathroom containing his family and a few handmaidens exited.

"Kameko and Taku have decided to put their boys to sleep for the night," He informed.

"We should too, they need rest and they are certainly not going outside tomorrow," She said in a strict tone.

"Of course," InuTaisho agreed, "They will stay inside and I'll have Jaken watch over them as they play nicely with our guests."

Izayoi smiled and looked up at her tired husband. They had always had hectic lives but when they brought friends or relatives into the mix, it always seemed to get worse.

Sesshomaru walked with Inuyahsa back to his room after their okaa had finished with the bandages. He picked Inuyasha up and put him on the bed after they entered the room.

"Does Otou like us worser a'cause of fighting with the Kouga and his onii-san??" Inuyasha questioned as he yawned.

"No, he likes us just the same. He was just a little surprised that we would do something like that, so we have to be very good tomorrow, no mess ups," Sesshomaru replied as he lay down beside his brother. Inuyasha nodded before rolling over and falling asleep.

'_He does like us just the same……Doesn't he??'_ Sesshomaru thought as he drifted into a restless sleep.

**. . . . . .A/N. . . . . . **

**Okay, sorry it took so long but it's here. I'll try to update more but I might also begin another story(after I have a couple of chapters for this typed up) but it will be a romance KagomeInuyasha. Now to answer a few questions.**

**StormySkys- I think I might add Myoga into the story but for now Jaken will make an appearance in the next chapter.**

**Forsaken Wanderer- That's a good idea!! I may put her in here after the whole Kouga thing is over.**

**Let me add one last thing, when I take characters out of the picture (like Nozomi and Leiko and all of them) if you guys want them to make another appearance just ask. I would love to try and work some old characters back into the plot! Well, don't forget to review. Yours Truly!**


	8. Mistakes

DISCLAIMER: I still don't own Inuyasha or character's but I do own Gina, Hisa, Kei, and everyone in Kouga's family( with the exception of Kouga).

A/N: I'm so sorry for the wait. I've started three other stories and plan to have them up this summer. I've been trying to balance my time between the fics and this one kinda got pushed aside. I'll try for better next time.

Sorry it's so short! **ALSO... I'm looking for a BETA**! I need someone who can do my Inuyasha fics and someone for hp (if you can do both then great!). My other fics center more on romance and there may be some lemony scenes in those. Please Read and Review. _Yours Truly!_

**Chapter Eight**

**Mistakes**

_**. . . . . . . .Last Time. . . . . . .**_

"_No, he likes us just the same. He was just a little surprised that we would do something like that, so we have to be very good tomorrow, no mess ups," Sesshomaru replied as he lay down beside his brother. Inuyasha nodded before rolling over and falling asleep._

'_He does like us just the same...…Doesn't he?' Sesshomaru thought as he drifted into a restless sleep._

_**. . . . . .Present Chapter. . . . . .**_

The next day tension was thick in the study. Sesshomaru sat unflinchingly behind Inuyasha who was pretending he was a samari and playing with his katana, since no other weapons were available. Ronin sat in the same stance facing Sessho. Kouga sat next to his brother while following Inuyasha's movement's with his eyes.

"Oh, do as you like as long as there is no bloodshed," Jaken uttered and he hurried across the room. Inuyasha had hit a pile of hit Otou's papers with his katana and had not stopped to pick them up.

Izayoi walked into the room and smiled brightly.

"Lunch is soon. I hope you all are having fun, you really should become better acquainted seeing as Kameko and Taku are leaving tomorrow."

Sesshomaru said nothing and Ronin didn't even look her way. "Well, you should all be downstairs in ten minutes." She informed before leaving to room, most likely to find Kameko so they could gossip some more.

There was silence for the next ten minutes, except for Inuyasha's feet on the padded floor and Jaken following in his wake trying to do some damage control.

"Inuyasha." Sesshomaru spoke, breaking the silence. The pup dropped his katana and stood next to his brother. Sesshomaru stood up and nodded towards Ronin. The nod was returned and Inuyasha looked utterly puzzled but followed Fluffy out of the room anyway. Once in the hallway he couldn't hold in his curiosity.

"What's happening, Fluffy? You and the Ronin were all 'shhhhh'" He put a finger to his lips at the last word, "And that Kouga wouldn't stop staring at me."

"It was nothing."

"It was too not nothing." Inuyasha persisted as they neared the dinning room. Sesshomaru could smell Ronin and Kouga close behind.

"Drop it Inuyasha," He said, his tone leaving no room for argument. The table was full except for the four seats for the boys. The meal was a quiet one, with the only attempts for conversation coming from Izayoi and Kameko.

After lunch Sesshomaru got Inuyasha off his trail and went to visit Toshio, leaving the pup alone. Inuyasha just sat in Sesshomaru's room for a bit before venturing downstairs. He found his katana again and continued his game.

"Katana's are for babies," A voice called from behind him. He spun around to face the Kouga. On instinct he sniffed the air, Ronin wasn't nearby.

"Then leave me alone and go make fun of someone else." Inuyasha growled at his enemy.

"I like making fun of you, half-breed." Kouga took a step forward.

"Well, you stink you stupid wolf!" Inuyasha stuck his tongue out at the other demon and rolled his eyes.

"You'll never be as strong as me, you little wimp!" Kouga screamed back. Inuyasha's had dropped his katana and the boys were circling each other as they had the day before. Neither of them was thinking and they pounced on each other, using teeth claws and anything they could get their hands on.

They wrestled and fought for more than two hours before the fight slowed down. With the adrenaline rush gone neither boy had the energy or the will power to keep up the fight. They disentangled themselves from each other and collapsed on the floor, each a bloody mess.

**With Sesshomaru**

On his way to see Toshio, Sesshomaru had run into Ronin. After a lot of yelling and agreeing and disagreeing he had allowed the older boy to come with him to his friend's house.

Now he was on his way home. They weren't quite friends now but they didn't hate each other anymore. They entered the house through a back door and were assaulted with the smell of blood. Sesshomaru's hand went to his nose and they followed the scent to their collapsed brothers. Sighing heavily Sesshomaru picked up his brother.

"I can't let my Otou come home and see him like this." Sesshomaru said to Ronin, who had already picked up his brother too.

"Let's just not tell anyone then." Ronin proposed. Sesshomaru nodded and they went their separate ways. Sesshomaru went to the bathroom nearest his bedroom and cleaned Inuyasha up. Most of the cuts were minor and had already begun to heal. He bandaged up the two that looked like they might take longer to heal and brought the pup to his room. He called Hisa and had her bring the dinner to his room.

"Otouto, why do you do this?" Sesshomaru asked himself as he watched his brother sleep after dinner.

The next few days went by without incident and InuTaisho decided it better not to question the cut on his youngest son's arm. He was happy to have his house, and wife, to himself and he planned to take full advantage of that. He had told Sesshomaru to take Inuyasha for a rare trip off of his lands. Sesshomaru knew better than to ask questions and decided to take Inuyasha to the human market.

"Will they laugh at me?" Inuyasha was wary of going near all those humans and started to get nervous as they neared the market.

"Not if they're smart, otouto. You're stronger than their full grown males." Sesshomaru grabbed the boys hand when they entered a thicket of people. Most villages moved when they saw him. He was easily recognizable and no one wanted to anger a demon.

"Candy!" Inuyasha jumped when he saw a young woman selling candy. Sesshomaru regarded it with caution. Candy wasn't usually sold here and that woman stood out among the villagers. Never the less he walked over there with his otouto.

"How much is the candy?" He didn't care to be polite and she had no other customers at the moment.

"I don't serve _you_ dogs," She said, turning up her nose. Inuyasha looked at her funny and Sesshomaru growled.

"We _dogs_ own this land and you will answer my question." His tone was cool but his words stung.

"Excuse me Gina, is something the matter?" A female dog youkai had come up behind Sesshomaru. He cursed himself for not sensing her before she spoke.

Gina bowed deeply, "These inu-youkai pups will not leave me alone when I refused to serve them, Milady." The woman nodded and looked at the boys. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha turned around, Inuyasha stood behind Sesshomaru as his onii-san stood in shock.

"Kei?" He had never spoken his mother's true name though he had heard it many times.

"Do I know you pup?" The lady leaned down close to his face.

"Let's go Sessho!" Inuyasha urged, as he tugged on his brother's pants completely forgetting about his candy.

"Sessho..." The demon repeated, "Sesshomaru, I should've known right away. I forgot we had stopped in InuTaisho's lands. And what is that?" She pointed a claw toward Inuyasha.

"My otouto, not that he's any of your business," Sesshomaru replied getting over his shock quickly.

"So your father has mated, with a human no less. Figures, since he couldn't get me so he had to settle for second best." A smirk formed on her lips and she dusted invisible dirt off of her elegant kimono.

"She's more of a mother than you ever were. If Otou-san ever settled for second best it was when he was with you! He could've done a lot better!" Sesshomaru spat.

"You'd dare speak to your mother like that! I should've killed you the moment you were born." She hissed.

"I suggest you leave before, Otou finds out you're here and comes after you second hand mate." With his final words Sesshomaru picked up Inuyasha and carried him quickly out of the market. When they reached the path back to the castle he set Inuyasha down.

"Was that your old okaa?" Inuyasha asked quietly.

"Yes, she was a horrible okaa-san though and I'm glad I'll never have to live with her again." Inuyasha quickened his pace to match his brother's long strides.

"Was she really that mean to you?"

"She didn't want me, and thought I was a mistake." Sesshomaru's voice held no emotion but Inuyasha could tell that he was hurt by the rejection. He jumped into his brother's arms and hugged him.

Sesshomaru was startled by the contact, but after a moment his posture softened and his arms closed around the pup.

"I want you Sessho, you aren't a mistake," Inuyasha assured him. Sesshomaru gave him a smile.

"Thank you, otouto."


	9. Separated

**Disclaimer: I didn't own him before and I don't own him now.**

_**A/N:**_ I hope you like it! I'm sorry it took a while but my spell check wouldn't work and I don't have a beta so I had to get my brother to fix it before I could write anymore. R&R!

Chapter Nine  
Separated

_**. . . . . . . . . Last Chapter. . . . . . **_

"_I want you Sessho, you aren't a mistake," Inuyasha assured him. Sesshomaru gave him a smile._

"_Thank you, otouto."_

_**. . . . . . . . . . Present Chapter. . . . . . . . . **_

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha got home just as rain began to fall. The house seemed empty and was devoid of all sound.

"Where's Otou?" Inuyasha looked of Sesshomaru for answers and found none. They searched all of their father's rooms before decided to go to Izayoi's day chamber. Upon opening the door they found her and a few hand maidens packing some bags.

"Inu-kun, Sessho-kun! I was just about to send someone to find you two." She looked up from her bag and rushed over to embrace her sons.

"I have to leave," She noted that both boys looked horrorstricken, even though Sesshomaru hid this well, "It won't be for long, and Inuyasha, you have to come with me. I have to visit my family for a while, until InuTaisho returns." Sesshomaru nodded. He understood that his father was slow to trust anyone with his human mate.

"Sessho, you can't come with I'm afraid," She took his hand and gave him a pained look before continuing, "You have to go to a house Taro has near here, he will stay with you and your father said that he'll come get you as soon as he returns."

"I don't wanna leave Fluffy," Inuyasha complained as he was covered in a layer of extra clothing by Kagia. Sesshomaru barked reassuring things to the pup in inuyoukai as Hisa layered clothing on him.

"I don't either, Inuyasha, but we have to." She looked toward Sesshomaru, "If anything bad happens I want you to come find us, we'll be in the village south of the market, it has a very large shrine at the northern tip." Sesshomaru nodded and Izayoi kissed his forehead.

"I love you, Sessho," She murmured, drawing him into a hug.

"I love you too, Fluffy," Inuyasha said as he joined the hug. He didn't say anything but Izayoi and Inuyasha knew he loved them too. Just as quickly as they came together they were apart and being ushered outside.

"We have to leave, Lady Izayoi, the storm is coming fast and we want to be ahead of it," Kagia informed. Izayoi nodded and smiled sadly as Sesshomaru was led away under a cover surrounded by a few of his father's demon assistants, including Jaken.

Izayoi allowed herself to be situated in a cushioned cart with Inuyasha by her side. They were off down the bumpy road within moments.

**. . . . . . . . . . With Sesshomaru . . . . . . . .**

When the demons walking in front of Sesshomaru stopped the rain was pounding on the animal skin they held over his head.

"Your father thinks he's sooo great," One of them sneered.

"All high and mighty..."

"With that worthless ningin mate..."

"And that hanyou son…"

"And he has the nerve to treat a stuck up brat like you better than us!" They had dropped the cover now and rain soaked Sesshomaru. He looked around at the eight demons around him. Jaken hurried into the middle of the crowd.

"You cannot touch Master Sesshomaru, you stupid fools. InuTaisho will surely have your head on a platter before you can utter another foul word." The toad demon looked defiantly at the traitors.

"He won't be back for a month is what I heard." They were advancing now, but Sesshomaru saw a break and shot out of the crowd, Jaken wasn't far behind. He could hear the demons behind him as he made for the forest. He ran until the noise was gone and then he stopped for a breath. He sat at the base of a tree and drew his knees up to him. He was lost, but not scared. Inuyoukai don't get scared.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken called as he approached. "They have left, and I must get you to your uncle."

Sesshomaru stood up and followed as the toad demon led the way.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . With Inuyasha . . . . . . . . . . . .**

"Are we there yet, Okaa?" Inuyasha asked impatiently for the millionth time that hour.

"Not yet, Inu-kun, but soon, very soon." Izayoi was positive that in another twenty minutes she'd be hugging her okaa-san and otou-san.

The cart continued moving for another fifteen minutes before slowing to a stop.

"Izayoi? Izayoi?" Her mother's voice called out as she ran through the rain to get to her daughter. Izayoi struggled to get out of the cart and embraced her mother. Her father joined in the hug as he caught up with his wife.

"Zinan, she has come home to us, I knew it would happen!" Etsu exclaimed to her husband. Zinan just nodded and smiled at his wife and daughter.

Inuyasha was wary of these new people. They smiled a little like his mother and she was hugging them but that did not soothe all of the pup's worries. He huddled in a corner of the cart trying to make himself as small as possible and hoped that he'd be forgotten and brought back to the castle so he could find his nii-san.

"Oh, Okaa-san, Otou-san, you have to meet my son, Inuyasha," Izayoi smiled as she released her parents and turned to the cart. "Inu-kun, come meet your Obaasan and Ojiisan," She called. Slowly Inuyasha got out of the cart and cuddled in his mother's arms.

"He's half-demon, Izayoi," Her mother stated emotionless. Izayoi nodded, "InuTaisho is his father, Okaa-san."

"No, no, no! My akachan did not marry a demon! It didn't happen!" Etsu looked near hysterical as she flailed her arms about before focusing on her eldest child. "That monstrosity is not yours, Izayoi, you are merely working for our Lord and taking care of the abomination that was birthed to another."

"Inuyasha is not an abomination, Okaa-san, and I can't believe you'd say that!" Izayoi's face was red and she was clutching her son to her as if her life depended on it. Etsu looked content and did not acknowledge her daughter's words at all. She walked quietly back to the shrine and left Zinan with Izayoi and Inuyasha.

"Your okaa-san is not used to demons and has had trouble with your… relationship with our Lord. I do not condone her actions, or yours," He looked pointedly at the little bundle of red in her arms, "but if Lord InuTaisho wishes you to stay here than you will, do not upset your mother any further, Izayoi." With that her father followed in her mother's footsteps. Izayoi let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Obaasan doesn't like me," Inuyasha said as he looked up at his mother.

"I don't care was obaasan thinks, I love you Inu-kun and that's all that matters," Izayoi announced before walking into her childhood home.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back To Sesshomaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

"I'm so sorry about your escort, they will be taken care of by your father once he finds out what they did, he'll be glad he sent me. Oh, yes he will, me and not that stupid flea that he sent with your brother, probably hasn't even introduced himself to Lord Inuyasha yet. Stupid flea, just because he was with Milord before I was he thinks he's all that. But, don't you worry Master Sesshomaru I am fully capable and I am positive that your uncle's home is just through these trees." Jaken rambled. He had been going on like that for the better part of two hours.

Sesshomaru had stripped off his outer layer of clothing and was carrying it. The extra weight had been slowing him down and by now he could care less if he was wet or not. Jaken had a case of Sesshomaru's clothes with him anyways.

Yawning, Sesshomaru stepped though the undergrowth and into a clearing. A medium sized house was in the middle and Jaken was already at the door.

"Lord Taro! Your nephew Lord Sesshomaru has arrived!" Sesshomaru approached the house just as Taro opened the door.

"Hello, Sesshomaru," He nodded to his nephew, "Jaken. Won't you two come in?" Sesshomaru and Jaken filed in the house and the young lord's eyes scanned his new surroundings for escape routes and hiding places in case of an emergency.

" I had thought you'd be here sooner."

"We had a bit of trouble with my escort." Sesshomaru replied shortly as he took a seat across the table from his uncle. Jaken busied himself familiarizing with the house and ordering a ningin maid to put Sesshomaru's things in his room.

"Ahh, well hostility is to be expected from simple minds fearing the joining of youkai and humans." Taro's responded offhandedly. Sesshomaru immediately took notice of how different his uncle was from his father. Their looks were close to identical but his uncle was so laid back and showed so much emotion, the exact opposite of his father.

"I'm sorry." Taro apologized suddenly, "You haven't gotten to know me, seeing as you met me when I was with my mother, but I have to step out for a few, I'll be back in the morning and there shouldn't be any visitors or the such."

Sesshomaru nodded and watched his uncle hand a note to a maid and leave.

"Where is Lord Taro going!" Jaken sounded frantic as he scurried into the room. "He cannot leave us! What if we are attacked?"

"Quiet Jaken," Sesshomaru silenced. One of the maids he'd seen taking his bags down a hall approached him.

"Lord Sesshomaru," She bowed deeply, "My name is Shika and Tani and I have drawn you a bath and laid out a yukata for you. Tani will be outside of the door waiting to show you to your room after you have bathed." She explained. Sesshomaru nodded to the brunette and followed her down a hallway.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . With Izayoi and Inuyasha . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

Izayoi and Inuyasha were beginning to feel claustrophobic. They had only been visiting for two and a half weeks and Izayoi had had her fill of relatives and lying to her mother about her son. Inuyasha cried at night and didn't do anything during the day. She had written down the days and they crossed them out one at a time until they'd reach the day they'd return home.

"Izayoi, your sister will be coming tonight," Etsu smiled as she prepared dinner. "She is about to be married in the coming months."

"Wonderful, Okaasan, I cannot wait to see Etsuko again." She smiled back with false joy. Inuyasha was in her room, he was not to come out except for a bath and just thinking about his heartbroken face made Izayoi want to cry.

"You should really think about moving back home, Izayoi. You could become a miko again and I'm sure Milord will allow you to pursue this instead of working around the castle." Etsu suggested as she stirred a stew.

"I like it at the castle, Okaasan, and I think I would be sorely missed if I left."

"Nonesense," Etsu dismissed, "You probably aren't even noticed in the first place."

Izayoi couldn't take it anymore, "Okaasan, I am a partial ruler of these lands and I am the Lady of the castle. I have two sons, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, and I love my demon mate, InuTaisho. If you have a problem with this I'm sorry, but I still love you and Otousan as much as I did when I lived here. I just want you to love me for me!"

Etsu didn't bat an eyelash at her enraged daughter. "Izayoi, you have quite the imagination, but I think you might be feverish." She ushered her stunned daughter to her room and locked and closed the door.

"I'll bring you some soup, but for now stay in bed. You can see Etsuko another time." Etsu called though the door before walking away.

Izayoi looked around the room and saw Inuyasha sitting in a corner. She immediately went to him and scooped him up in her arms. He looked stunned at the contact, as he wasn't used to her being there in the middle of the day. Etsu usually kept her busy around the house.

"I'm so sorry for putting you through this Inu-kun. We can leave soon and you don't ever have to come back again. If I had known your obaasan would be like this then I would have gone with Sessho-kun to Taro's home." She sobbed as she clutched Inuyasha to her body. Inuyasha was still for a moment but he quickly returned his okaasan's embrace and let her tears wet his hair.

Outside of the room Zinan sat drinking tea. He didn't know when his life had becaome so complicated. Etsuko arrived a few minutes later with a bright smile on her face.

"Okaasan, where is Izayoi?" She questioned eagerly.

"She has a fever, Etsuko, and will not be joining us tonight." Etsu smiled weakly at her younger daughter.

"Oh alright," Etsuko sighed as she sat down across from her father.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .With Sesshomaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

Sesshomaru got out of the bath and into the yukata, not wasting any time. As promised, Tani was outside the door and she led him down the hall to a large room.

"If you need anything just call for me or Shika." Tani bowed before leaving the room. Sesshomaru laid there quietly for a moment before drifting into sleep.

For the next two weeks Taro would come and go staying only a day at most, leaving Sesshomaru to his own devices. Sesshomaru went into the woods, not too far, and spent a lot of time practicing his hunting skills. The maids were all busy and Jaken was napping when he came in from outside. He found Shika and asked her to draw him a bath. She nodded and went off down the hall. He found his bath ready and waiting with a new set of clothes. After bathing and changing he went to his room.

Izayoi had given Sesshomaru a number of scrolls to read and he wanted to surprise her by reading at least three. He had finished the first two days ago and now he picked up another. He sat on his bed, but no matter how hard he resisted it his body needed sleep and Sesshomaru was sleeping lightly in a matter of minutes.

He awoke to the sound of the door being forced open. His eyes were wide as he sniffed the air. It wasn't Taro, it was…Leiko and Kei. _'What do they think they're doing here?'_ Sesshomaru thought as he went into the hallway and down to the sitting room.

"Ahh, just the pup I wanted to see," Leiko smiled as she saw him. Sesshomaru held a fixed calm expression but his eyes looked malevolent.

"What the hell do you want, Leiko?" He ignored his mother and took the opportunity to use a few new words he'd learned from his darling otou-san.

"That's not a very nice thing to say to your aunt." She scolded lightly, "Your mother wants to take you away, and there will be no arguments." Sesshomaru turned his eyes to Kei as she let out a low bark. The house filled with ten or so inuyoukai in less than a minute. Sesshomaru was cornered.

**. . . . .A/N. . . . . .**

I really have something going this time! I know what I'm going to do in the next chapter but I cut this one short. I'm sorry but at least it's posted. I've been under attack from plot bunnies! They come out of no where and make me type them up! I'll get working on the next chappie and hopefully it'll be out by next week, maybe sooner if I'm really inspired or maybe I just need a few reviews…hmmm. Please review! Love Much. Yours Truly.


	10. Escape

A/N: There is a really important authors note at the end of this chapter! I love all of my reiveiwers and I hope you understand that tomorrow the 30th I'll be going to Alabama and I won't be back to the 4th. Sorry but at least this will give you time to reply to my ?'s and review. I would be pleased to find more than five reviews for this chapter. Sorry for mistakes but I still do not have a beta. Well, my computer is messing up so I better post this before it's deleted. Love Much.

Chapter Ten

Escape

_. . . . . . . . Last Chapter. . . . . . . ._

"_That's not a very nice thing to say to your aunt." She scolded lightly, "Your mother wants to take you away, and there will be no arguments." Sesshomaru turned his eyes to Kei as she let out a low bark. The house filled with ten or so inuyoukai in less than a minute. Sesshomaru was cornered._

_. . . . . . . .Present Chapter. . . . . . ._

"Where is that ningin mate your father took to replace me?" Kei asked as she walked around the room, "You can tell okaasan where they are," she cooed.

All the maids were huddled in the sitting room and Sesshomaru could smell their fear. Jaken had gone to the Young Master's side just after the demons had entered.

"That information is on a need to know basis, and frankly, _Kei_, you **don't** need to know," Sesshomaru replied indignantly. Kei turned sharply to the boy.

"Tie him up and take him outside, if he puts up a fight don't kill him," She commanded before walking out of the house with Leiko trailing behind.

Sesshomaru now focused his attention on the inuyoukai advancing on him. On instinct he took a defensive pose. He could tell from the smell and the brownish hair that all of these demons belonged to the same pack. _'To bad most of Otousan's pack is guarding Izayoi and Inuyasha,'_ he thought as one of the demons behind him rushed forward. He jumped and the demon missed, but another caught him in the air.

"Stupid pup, do not disobey Lady Kei or the Lord will surely hurt you," The demon who was holding him admonished.

"That is, if she doesn't hurt you first," Another piped in. They brought over some rope and two demons tied up Jaken before giving the rope to the ones holding Sesshomaru. It took four of them to hold down the violent pup and three more to tie him up securely. The one who had caught him threw him over his shoulder and walked outside.

It was just after noon and the sun was still high in the sky. Sesshomaru was beyond angry. He hated being carried by some demon he didn't know and he hated Kei for coming here. The only thing that made him the least bit happy was the fact that Inuyasha and Izayoi weren't there too.

"Watch out, Goro, the mix between InuTaisho and I is a dangerous one and even if he hasn't discovered the power it bestowed upon him there is no telling when it will appear." Kei had been pacing outside but she stopped when the remaining occupants of the house emerged. Goro set down the squirming pup and all eyes turned to Kei.

"You stupid mindless excuses for demons are going to just stand there with your tails between your legs waiting to take orders from that dim-witted ugly bitch?!" Sesshomaru scoffed. He wasn't going to sit here and be helpless. Kei looked as if she was thinking and trying to ignore him. Leiko, who had been hanging all over one of the male demons, came over and hit Sesshomaru on the head.

"Shut up, you were abandoned pup, your mother and father don't want you anymore. And the foul mouth of yours should quiet up real soon before I quiet it for you!"

"I'd like to see you try, bastard," Sesshomaru smirked seeing Leiko's face. Her hand quickly grasped Sesshomaru's neck and held him off the ground. He remained perfectly calm, trying to ignore his lack of oxygen.

"You **will** respect me and you will listen and shut up."

Kei was now focusing on the scene, as were the demons around her. Sesshomaru began to panic. Leiko wasn't letting go and if he didn't do something he'd die. Leiko looked satisfied with herself as Sesshomaru's face went from red to purple. His eyes darted around and he saw no one moving to help him. His fingers started to tingle and he assumed it was from the ropes behind his back, but in a moment he couldn't feel the ropes anymore and his hands were free. Immediately he brought his hands to Leiko's arm and the demon screamed in pain and dropped the pup.

Sesshomaru fell to the ground with a startled look on his face and his eye fixed on his hands. His claws and part of his fingers were glowing green and his fingers were still tingling. Leiko was on her knees gripping her arm where the pup had touched her. The demons began to advance on the stunned pup.

"Don't touch him," Kei commanded and the advancing demons halted. Leiko pulled herself together and got off the ground. Serious burn marks were visible on her arm. Everyone, including Sesshomaru, was looking to Kei for answers.

"He's found his powers."

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . With Izayoi and Inuyasha . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

"Izayoi," Etsu called before opening the door to the room, "I hope you feel better, Etsuko missed you." She came in and set a bowl of soup on a small table.

"Quiet mother," Izayoi hushed before ushering her mother out of the room, "Inuyasha is finally asleep and I'd like him to stay that way for a few hours."

After Etsuko had left Etsu had brought Izayoi some soup. Later that night Inuyasha had started whimpering, which quickly progressed to full blow bawling and Izayoi couldn't get him to stop.

"It must be so hard for his wet nurse to care for him if he acts like this all the time," Etsu admonished, shaking her head in disdain.

"Inu-kun doesn't need a wet nurse. I'm always there for him," Izayoi muttered more to herself than to her mother. "We leave in two days and I'd like to clear some things up, Mother," Izayoi's voice rose a little but not enough to disturb the sleeping hanyou in the next room.

"Go ahead, darling, I have always loved talking with you and your sister," Etsu encouraged with a genuine smile as she took a seat at the dinning table. Izayoi sat across from her with a stern look on her face.

"Let's get this clear, Inuyasha is my son. I carried him for seven months, the normal time for demon pups, and I have cared for him ever since. Sesshomaru, though he is a full demon, is considered my son, too. I don't know where this hatred for you Lord and Lady and their offspring stemmed from, nut I will not put up with it any longer. You had plenty of time to come to terms with our marriage before Inuyasha was born and yet still you have something against your own grandson. I cannot believe you Mama, I thought you'd be accepting but I guess I was wrong," Izayoi paused to catch her breath and see if her mother had a response.

For the first time since she had come to visit Izayoi's mother didn't go into hysterics at the mention of her daughter's son or relationship with the Lord.

"It's not that I hate you, Izayoi, I just don't approve and to think what the villagers would say if they too knew about your horrendous relations and that abomination that is sleeping on your bed. I never wanted to 'come to terms' about your relationship. I respect Milord but I cannot stand to see my baby as brainwashed as she is now. I try to act normal for Etsuko and Zinan but you just get to me. Thinking about the torture you must have gone through tears me apart."

"Torture?!! What _torture_? InuTaisho loves me, and I him. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru live in a loving environment and no one in our home is **brainwashed**!" Izayoi tried to keep her voice down, but she could hear Inuyasha stirring in her bedroom.

"If that is how you truly feel, Milady, then you can just get out now," Etsu hissed, "Leave and never come back for all I care, let those wild demons with that same view as I tear you apart!"

"You would be the one torn apart, Ugami-san, if you had not noticed, my mate did not send us here unprotected. Part of InuTaisho's pack is hidden all around outside, Inuyasha noticed them on the first night; he spent the whole night talking to them in inuyoukai. He hasn't said a word Japanese since and I blame you! We will leave now Ugami-san and don't expect us back!" Izayoi screamed staring her mother in the eye. They had reverted to formal names and their relationship was gone.

Etsu said nothing as Zinan came into the room only to see Izayoi rush into her room to a crying Inuyasha.

"Jiro," She called, anger still evident in her voice. An inuyoukia with white hair walked into the house, past her stunned parents and stood in front of her. Inuyasha quieted his sobs to whimpers. She handed Inuyasha to Jiro, who held the boy carefully.

"We're leaveing."

"Lady Izayoi, Lord InuTaisho is not back yet," He reminded her. She nodded.

"I will not subject my pup to one more moment in the company of that woman," She responded. Jiro nodded and gave a short bark. In a moment three more youkai were in the room packing up Izayoi's bags. She walked outside without acknowledging her parents. Jiro followed close behind. Izayoi situated herself in the cart that had brought her there and Jiro set Inuyasha next to her.

"We're going home, Inu-kun, and as soon as we get back I'll send someone to get Sessho-kun," She smiled at her baby.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . With Sesshomaru. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

"What do you do with him, Lady Kei?" Goro questioned as the rest of the group formed a circle around the stunned pup.

"I will handle him." Her reply was short but Goro nodded and the demons moved apart to let her through. Kei walked up to Sesshomaru and picked him up by the neck of his clothes. She gruffly tossed him into the back of the wagon and commanded her followers to pull it. They started off down the hill in the opposite direction from InuTaisho's castle.

Sesshomaru looked back longingly and got to his feet.

"Sit down," Kei commanded, holding up a clawed hand that was glowing in the same way his had. Grudgingly, Sesshomaru complied. The group traveled well into the night but no one slept. It was just after dawn when they came to a small group of inuyoukai that looked to be related to whatever clan Goro came from.

"Lady Kei," one of the demon women came up and bowed deeply to her, "Lord Kanaye is waiting for you."

Kei gave a short nod and walked over to a male demon dressed in the nicest furs and hakama out of the whole group. He had a dark carmel color hair that nearly touched the ground and Sesshomaru immediately knew this was Kei's mate. She stood next to him and they spoke quietly in inuyoukai, but Sesshomaru still over heard.

;'whelp is here';

;'yes. he's found them';

;'InuTaisho still gone?';

;'yes. all alone, except for toad youkai';

;'he must be disposed of';

Kanaye had the last word and Kei just nodded. Sesshomaru's eyes were wide, he didn't know if it was he or Jaken that was to be disposed of. Goro grabbed him out of the cart and Sesshomaru was sure that all the demons around him could smell his fear. His fingers started tingling again and he used his momentum and weight to thrust himself at Goro's body.

Sure enough his claws were green with poison again and Goro cried out in pain and shock. Five demons that hadn't been on the trip to kidnap him advanced. Now, almost positive that he had some control in the situation, Sesshomaru tried to escape the circle and get back into the woods. He jumped and was caught by a smaller demon dressed similarly to Kanaye. He quickly brought his claws down on the arms holding him and the young demon fell to the ground just as Goro had.

Kei and Kanaye had been watching from afar, but at the latest development Kei cracked her knuckles and her claw began to glow as she and her mate advanced.

Kanaye grabbed Sesshomaru from behind and Kei touched one of her claws to his middle. Sesshomaru squirmed and managed to get his claws on Kanaye but was not released. Kanaye flinched but held steadfast as the poison on Kei's claws took effect and ate though Sesshomaru's clothing and began on his flesh. Sesshomaru felt the burn and wondered why it was taking the poison so long to get through his flesh when his own claws had almost gone completely through Goro in a matter of seconds.

All coherent thought was left behind as Sesshomaru struggled against Kei and her mate. Becoming desperate Sesshomaru reached his hands behind his neck to where Kanaye was holding the scruff of his clothing and cut through the hakama. He fell to the ground fast and ignored the wound in the center of his stomach. He ran over to his last victim, who was just regaining consciousness and held one of his claws to the older boy's neck. All movement in the group immediately stopped.

"Control the whelp, Kei," Kanaye growled, "If Tomo is hurt I will kill that ignorant whelp of yours."

"I cannot control him and he is _not_ mine!"

"Shut up!!" Sesshomaru was losing patience fast and the smell of fear coming from Tomo was disgusting.

"What is so important about this stupid demon?!" He demanded, looking first at Kei and then staring Kanaye in the eye.

"He is my son and your okaasan's as well," Kanaye ground out.

"She is not my okaasan, and how the hell can he be older than me?!!"

"I was not as faithful to your father as he would have liked when he was away." Kei smirked, "I had Tomo and then you a while later but I wanted to be with Kanaye more than that dumb baka you call otousan."

"I could care less about you too, _whore_!" Sesshomaru spat, "I'm going to leave and no one is going to follow me." His eyes swept over the group and found no defiant faces.

"You all have to live with knowing that your _'Young Lord'_ was overcome by the whelp your Lady left behind, a mere eight year old." He almost smiled knowing how embarrassing this was for Tomo.

"Don't follow me, Kei. You have poison too, but it takes a hell of a lot longer to work than mine does. I suggest you tend to your weak prince and your Lord and leave me the fuck alone." With that said Sesshomaru jumped from the scene and ran to the forest, the green tint leaving his claws.

Jaken was waiting just inside the forest and Sesshomaru slowed so the toad could keep up with the quick pace.

"Your father, he will be getting to Taro's home in a matter of hours I suspect, and will be following the trial I left! He will be here soon and take care of that insolent female!" Jaken assured as they took a break. Sesshomaru leaned against a tree and laid a hand on his stomach in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding. The wound was deep, far worse than the ones he had received protecting Inuyasha. He gave a slow nod to Jaken as everything went black.

**. . . . .A/N. . . . **

**URGENT**

**Okay a have something very important to say, that is way most of my comments are at the top of the page. You, my reviewers have a choice, my next chapter will not depend on it but it may come up in chapter 13 or 14 and I need to know NOW. You have two options listed below:**

**OPTION A: I continue this story set in the past and have a few minor setbacks trying to Inu and Kag together and incorporating other characters. I never expected to get this far in the story and I would love to continue in this fashion but I would expect some major writers block. This option includes character death(not Sessh or Inu)**

**OPTION B: I bring the story into a new setting, I have already figured out how I can do this and this is the option I'm leaning towards, it would take a whole lot of people not liking this for me to change my mind and even then I'm not positive I would. This option includes character death(not Sessh or Inu)**

**Neither of the above listed options means that I will change the genre but there is a possibility, I still love the angst/general angle and I don't want to change that and I doubt I will. Please VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE in your REVIEW!! If you don't review then I obviously won't receive your vote so don't just sit there thinking about your choice! Please review and give me your suggestions. Yours Truly.**


	11. Visions

_**A/N**: Thank you for your reviews! I would especially like to thank **Taiyoukai Lady** for her wonderful advice! To see my decision look for the author's note at the end! Enjoy the chapter! Sorry it's short! Love Much!_

Chapter Eleven

Visions

_. . . . . . . .Previous Chapter. . . . . . . . . ._

"_Your father, he will be getting to Taro's home in a matter of hours I suspect, and will be following the trial I left! He will be here soon and take care of that insolent female!" Jaken assured as they took a break. Sesshomaru leaned against a tree and laid a hand on his stomach in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding. The wound was deep, far worse than the ones he had received protecting Inuyasha. He gave a slow nod to Jaken as everything went black._

_. . . . . . . .Present Chapter. . . . . . _

The journey home was long and silent as the cart wobbled over stones on the dirt path. Inuyasha had yet to say anything and Izayoi was worried for him. She had only gotten one note from Taro over his stay and it hadn't said much about Sesshomaru.

Izayoi was absorbed in her thoughts when the carriage stopped moving and Jiro appeared in front of her.

"We have arrived, Milady, but three demons are going to go in search of the Young Lord and his escort. It seems that his escort was disloyal and turned on him. We are almost positive Lord Sesshomaru is safe but we have to find the double-crossers and being them back to the castle by the time Lord InuTaisho returns, which should be late tomorrow."

Izayoi looked stunned for a moment but nodded her consent and allowed Jiro to carry a sleeping Inuyasha into the castle.

'_Why does everything go so wrong?'_ She questioned herself as they were situated in her day chambers. Two demons were on guard outside the door but she couldn't help but worry about Sesshomaru.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . With InuTaisho. . . . . . . . . . .**

It felt wonderful to be back in familiar territory and InuTaisho was making the most out of the peace and quiet as he floated through the air. He couldn't wait to be home but a few more minutes of silence would be welcome. Alas, his wish was not to come true.

Washi, a demon whom InuTaisho had known since his days as a pup, was jumping through the trees before summoning his own cloud and rushing up to InuTaisho. He bowed deeply and InuTaisho nodded his permission to speak.

"The escort for Lord Sesshomaru was traitorous and they attacked him, Lord Taro says the boy made it there unscathed and men are looking for the double-crossing demons right now. But when we approached Lord Taro's home the maids came running out yelling that an evil inuyoukai bitch had kidnapped the Young Lord. One of the demons assisting in the kidnapping was identified as Lady Leiko. Their scent was old and went in many directions, we attempted following it but it was to no avail." Washi looked as if he had been on the run all day and InuTaisho's light hearted attitude had changed greatly at the news.

"I will find Sesshomaru," He stated, "Where are Lady Izayoi and Inuyasha, my youngest?"

"Milady requested leave of her parents yesterday and they are home with many of your loyal subjects, Jiro included."

"You go join them; I am going to find Sesshomaru."

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . With Jaken. . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

"Milord, you must wake up!" The toad demon was hysterical. He was positive that the scent of Sesshomaru's blood would reach Kei and her pack and they'd track them down.

Sesshomaru had been unconscious for almost half an hour and his wound wasn't healing as it should.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . With Kei. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

Kanaye was furious, "Kei, you dare endanger our son?"

"It wasn't an intentional act! I will personally make sure Sesshomaru is properly punished!" She defended herself.

The pack had been focusing on Tomo's injuries and preparing Goro's dead body for a proper burial. They were finishing packing up their things for the long journey ahead of them when Kei stopped them.

"You all stay here!" She demanded getting a malicious look in her eye, "Sesshomaru is wounded and I want to make sure he gets home _safely_." She had a sly grin on her face and Kanaye didn't stop her as she ran into the forest.

Kei traveled for another half hour. She was taking her time. She knew Sesshomaru wasn't moving and she didn't want to waste her energy. As she neared she could hear that stupid toad demon hustling back and forth talking to no one.

She emerged from the underbrush and kicked the toad hard in his side.

"Shut up, Jaken! I didn't like you when I lived with InuTaisho and I don't like you now!"

She turned toward her unmoving son and smiled.

"You, Sesshomaru, were the persistent pain in my side! I almost felt bad when I left, but I love Tomo far more than I could ever love you! He's the best son and has no shortcomings…" She didn't realize that during her speech, Sesshomaru had come to.

"Except for the fact that even when I'm wounded and can kick his sorry ass!" Sesshomaru blurted out. He was still full of anger after hearing Kei talking.

"NO! That will never be mentioned in our pack and yours will never hear of it because you won't live to tell them!" She yell, becoming infuriated. "I was going to kill you the moment you were born! I hated you because I hated your father! I was so close to it too, but then that stupid hand maiden took you away, to your wet nurse! I would have killed myself before I allowed you to feed of me for more that those six months you were inside me!" She picked up Sesshomaru by his neck and held him up to her height. Sesshomaru put up little struggle and just stared as she continued.

"Tomo was never supposed to know of you! He will someday get your father's lands, too, when I come back to claim them! InuTaisho will die soon, I can assure you that! And then no one will be there to protect your precious hanyou brother! Imagine, you and your father and step mother gone, and I'll make sure that the last breath from his small body is a tortured one!" Kei laughed manically.

Sesshomaru grabbed her wrist with one glowing hand. "Shut…up…" He gasped, glaring at her even though his face was turning blue. Kei winced but held on tight.

"Put him down, Kei," InuTaisho's voice sounded behind her. She spun around, Sesshomaru still extended in front of her.

"You shouldn't have let him live!" She screamed. "I was so close to killing him!"

InuTaisho moved quickly. Kei dodged his first attack, but his second cut her hand clean off just above the wrist. Sesshomaru fell in a heap at her feet.

Kei stepped back gripping what remained of her right arm.

"I will get revenge, InuTaisho! I will kill your son!" She screamed as she watched InuTaisho pick up Sesshomaru before she sprinted into the forest.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . With Inuyasha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

"I promise you can spend all of tomorrow outside if you just say one word, Inuyasha," Izayoi pleaded with her pup. Inuyasha sat still and stared at her, making no sign of response.

She had been sitting there trying to get him to talk for almost two full hours. She knew he was capable of talking, he had been barking at the guard an hour ago. She had asked the demon what her son was saying and he informed her that Inuyasha was asking for Sesshomaru.

She put her face in her hands and sighed loudly. A moment later a loud noise echoed through the palace. Izayoi could sense her mate was near. Inuyasha bolted from his seat on a pillow and ran to the door and started barking and whining. Izayoi was right behind him pushing the doors open.

One of Inutaisho's higher ranked demons stopped her in the hall.

"I'm sorry, Lady Izayoi, but Milord has told me not to let either of you go to him. His is tended to an injured Lord Sesshomaru and doesn't wish to be disturbed at the moment."

Izayoi's face dropped. Inuyasha's whining grew in volume and he sat on the floor with tears running down his face. Izayoi gave a short nod and picked up Inuyasha and brought him back in the room.

He sat down and whined while Izayoi made no move to stop him. She knew it was futile, Inuyasha wanted his brother and he wanted him now. A loud bark sounded again about twenty minutes later and Inuyasha ran out the door before she could stop him.

She saw the guards let him run by and assumed the InuTaisho had called to him. She looked dejected at a wall. She could hear the rain outside beating against the house. She felt left out. Her mate and two sons were all together and here she was, sitting alone in a guarded room by herself.

"Don't look so sad," A gruff voice reprimanded her as he entered the room. She turned around and leapt from her seat into his arms.

"I wouldn't if I knew what was going on in my own home," She mumbled into his chest.

"Kei and Leiko kidnapped Sesshomaru. He's fine now, but he's in kind of a shock. Inuyasha said that you were upset." InuTaisho rubbed her back in small circles and she relaxed into him as he led her back to her seat and sat down with her.

"He actually talked to you?" She looked incredulously at her mate, "I've been trying to get him to…"

"It was in Inuyoukai," InuTaisho corrected himself with a downward glance. Izayoi let out a breath.

"He refuses to speak at all in Japanese and it's worrying me."

"He'll get over it, koishii," He assured her.

"I'm just glad we're all back here together," She smiled at him, "But did you get Totosai to…"

"Yes it's done, but now you need to do your part and hide them," He smiled back. Her smile vanished.

"I agree it's a safe place but I'm still worried about what I saw," She frowned.

He frowned back. Izayoi had been having 'visions' of what was to come and their lives together ended very soon. She knew it was unavoidable but she wanted to spare Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. She had been studying and looking up spells and chants in her spare time and thought she had the right one. She was also sending a message to Kameko. She wanted to save everyone, but she knew that wasn't possible. In her visions Taku had died defending Ronin, Kouga, and Hana. Kameko already lie dead. She was going to save five innocent children and that thought cheered her up a bit.

"We'll get through it. We'll do what we can until it's complete. Are you sure it will be safe there for them?"

She nodded, "From the bits I've seen of the differences it'll make if they stay or go, it'll be better if they go, all of them." She smiled sadly at the thought of losing her sons.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . With Sessho and Inu . . . . . . . . . . . .**

Sesshomaru lie in his bed unmoving. He was awake but wished it were different. He had heard Inuyasha calling for him when they first arrived home and was wondering where the pup was.

'Otou' Inuyasha barked as he pounced lightly at Sesshomaru's feet.

"Where's okaasan, koinu," Sesshomaru asked, trying out a new nickname for the pup.

'Downstairs, I missed you! I hate obaasan! I never want to see another obaasan, Fluffy' Inuyasha barked again.

Sesshomaru nodded his agreement, "Why are you speaking like that? I understand you but Okaasan doesn't. She'll want to hear you in Japanese."

Inuyasha was quite for a moment. 'I just don't wanna!' He turned his head away from his brother and looked at the wall.

'Fine,' Sesshomaru replied in Inuyoukai. Inuyasha turned to him and smiled before cuddling up to his side.

Sesshomaru winced and Inuyasha jumped back.

"I got hurt, koinu. I'll be fine." He answered his brother's unasked questions. Inuyasha nodded and curled up next to Sesshomaru before drifting to sleep. Sesshomaru looked down at Inuyasha for a moment before closing his eyes, too.

_**A/N**_

_Sorry for the short chapter!Well, I considered your votes and thought long and hard about my decision and I've come to a few conclusions. First (this one took the least amount of time) I am not giving Kagome a major role in this story. She won't fall in love with Inu or Sessho, but may have platonic relationships with either one or both of them. That is set in stone. Next, I've decided to do my best to mix the two choices. Of course it'll more of one than the other but I'm taking this story in the direction I think it should go. I know I'll probably get many objects to this but it is what I want to do. Thank you for your reviews and support. Yours Truly._


	12. Awkward Behavior

**A/N**: Sorry it took so long and sorry it's so short! I didn't want to put al the action in this chapter and also my internets messing up so I can't get the correct spelling for a character I want to use! Don't worry though; I'm almost positive the next chapter will be longer! Thank you so much for your reviews! They're what make me push myself to get this done! Once school starts updates will only be possible on weekends and holidays! Sorry! Enjoy this chapter! Love Much. Yours Truly.

Chapter Twelve

Awkward Behavior

_. . . . . . Previous Chapter. . . . ._

'_Fine,' Sesshomaru replied in Inuyoukai. Inuyasha turned to him and smiled before cuddling up to his side._

_Sesshomaru winced and Inuyasha jumped back._

"_I got hurt, koinu. I'll be fine." He answered his brother's unasked questions. Inuyasha nodded and curled up next to Sesshomaru before drifting to sleep. Sesshomaru looked down at Inuyasha for a moment before closing his eyes, too._

_. . . . . Present Chapter. . . . _

"It's now or never, Izayoi." InuTaisho paced the room and shot his mate a stern look. He'd only been back for two weeks and the tension had been mounting the whole time.

"We could always think of another place to hide it, in a chest or something, locked up tight," She pleaded helplessly as she mixed the herbs she was reluctant to use.

"No, we can't send anything with them, we've been over this. It would've been Sesshomaru but I think they would be safer with Inuyasha, Sesshomaru will be the one defending him if it's not so friendly over _there_." He turned another sharp look at Izayoi.

She nodded in agreement. She knew she'd have to do this, but that didn't make it any easier to drug her own son. _'He'll just be asleep for a few hours,'_ she tried to calm herself but it didn't work.

"Did you send for Kameko?"

"Yes, yesterday evening, I'm waiting for a reply." InuTaisho was still pacing the room.

"I'm almost done." Izayoi muttered as she set the bowl down in front of her. "Leave the room and send Inuyasha in, you stay with Sessho." She instructed as she took out an odd piece of metal she had borrowed from a traveler and tied it over her nose and mouth.

InuTaisho nodded and went into the hall. He paused and drew a deep breath; he didn't want to go through with this anymore than his mate did. Begrudgingly, he walked down the hall until his was a few paces from the stairs, and entered a room.

Inuyasha smiled and barked a welcome. InuTaisho tried to smile as he sat at the foot of his injured son's bed.

"Your okaasan needs to see you, Inuyasha, in the empty study down the hall." Inuyasha nodded and bounded out the door.

"What's going on?" Sesshomaru asked suspiciously as he propped himself up against the cushions.

"Nothing that concerns you," **_yet,_** "Izayoi simply needs to speak with Inuyasha for a moment."

Sesshomaru didn't seem to completely believe him but fell silent anyway. They sat there for a few moments, both trying to figure out what the other was thinking, and sniff out emotions that were hidden.

"If," InuTaisho broke the silence looking uncertainly at his eldest son, "If you were to be on your own with Inuyasha, would you look after him?"

Sesshomaru was baffled by the question, he'd never seen that look in his father's eyes and didn't know what to make of it, "I…we…of course I'd take care of him! He's my brother!"

InuTaisho nodded, whether in agreement or approval, Sesshomaru didn't know.

"What if you were lost?"

"I'd find a familiar place and start from there."

"Good…good…" InuTaisho trailed off in thought, seemingly unaware of his son's stares.

Sesshomaru was sure something was being hidden from him but he wasn't quite sure what it was.

"Izayoi is going to talk to you in a while, when she's done with Inuyasha. He'll be asleep, and she has many things to explain to you." Sesshomaru nodded his understanding. "Do not interrupt her. You need to learn as much as she knows while you still can. She hasn't seen much but what she does know might prove valuable." Sesshomaru nodded again.

InuTaisho stopped staring blankly at the wall and turned to Sesshomaru, "You and Inuyasha are to stay together at all times! Do you understand!" His voice echoed in the room.

"Yes, Otouto, I understand. Inuyasha and I will become inseparable." Sesshomaru nodded, still wondering why he had to become his baby brother's shadow in the near future.

"Good…good…" His gaze returned to the wall and they sat silently until Izayoi entered the room. Her face was slightly red and her hair was wet with sweat.

"You can go and stay with him, he'll be up in an hour or so," She smiled sadly at her mate, who followed her instructions and left the room. She took his spot on the bed.

"Did your father tell you…?" She trailed of turning inquisitive eyes toward the bedridden boy.

"Yes, he said you had to speak to me and that I wasn't to interrupt."

"Yes, well that will make it go faster," She nodded with a smile, "But if you have any questions you can ask them when I'm done." Sesshomaru nodded and listened intently as Izayoi began speaking.

**_. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Few Hours Later. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _**

InuTaisho reentered Sesshomaru's room looking slightly better than he had when he left.

"All his senses are fine, koishii, but he wants to see you," He smiled sadly at his mate. Izayoi nodded and left the room.

"Did you listen?" InuTaisho questioned as he took Izayoi's place. Sesshomaru nodded.

"I'm not sure I understood everything she was explaining but I think I'll do just fine with whatever task is ahead of us." InuTaisho had a blank look again as he nodded.

"Otou-san, are we going on a trip?" Sesshomaru had a lot of questions but decided it would be better to test the waters before diving in.

"Ano…you, Sesshomaru, are going to be on your own with Inuyasha sometime in the near future and Izayoi and I will not be able to assist you anymore," InuTaisho's answer was vague and Sesshomaru decided not to press the matter.

"You need to be getting some sleep. We'll have visitors arriving in the morning and I need you to keep Inuyasha in here with you for the most part of the day," InuTaisho declared as he got up. He patted Sesshomaru on the head gruffly and left the room.

_**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Next Morning. . . . . . . . . . . .**_

"Fluffy? Are you awake? Fluffy? Fluffy?" Inuyasha asked over and over as he stared at his brother's face.

"No, Koinu, I'm not awake," Sesshomaru replied, slightly irritated at being awoken.

"Oh, okay then," Inuyasha backed away from Sesshomaru's face and sat by his feet. Sesshomaru gave a loud sigh and sat up.

"What do you need, Inuyasha?"

"Did you know that the Kouga has come back? I thought he was gone forever? Why now? Ronin and the baby are back too. Are they going to attack us? They can't, it wouldn't be fair, a-cause you're still hurt and everything. Oh, and do you know what happened yesterday? I was with Okaasan and I fell asleep, she wasn't angry though. I woke up with Otousan and my head hurted really bad. Does your head hurt? Are you going to be okay? Everyone around here is acted really strange, do you know why?" Inuyasha only took one breath throughout his whole speech and Sesshomaru was astounded by the pup's lung capacity. Sesshomaru sniffed the air, and sure enough he could smell Ronin and the rest of the wolfs a couple floors down.

"Okaasan probably invited Kameko back and that's why Kouga and Ronin are here. I doubt they'll attack us, and of course they weren't gone forever. I didn't see you yesterday after you went with Okaasan, so no I don't know what happened. Yes, I am going to be okay and no my head doesn't hurt. And finally I wish I knew why everyone was acting so strangely." Sesshomaru tried to answer all the questions in succession. Inuyasha seemed satisfied and began jumping on Sesshomaru's bed.

"We have to stay here today, Koinu, but tomorrow we'll go out and play," Sesshomaru assured. Inuyasha didn't pay him any attention as he had caught sight of a dull katana on Sesshomaru's wall. Sesshomaru sighed when he saw what had his baby brother's interest.

"Something shiny…" Sesshomaru was amazed at the short attention span of his brother.

_**. . . . . . . . . . . . . Downstairs. . . . . . . . . . . . . **_

"I was thinking that Izayoi could have the same talk she had with Sesshomaru with Ronin," InuTaisho announced. Kameko looked shaken but nodded her agreement.

"I've seen a lot, Kameko, don't worry over your boys, they'll take care of Hana," Izayoi patted her friend's back comfortingly. Taku was pacing and muttering things to himself.

"You expect us to believe this!" He screamed outraged, "I highly doubt any of this will ever come to pass! This was just an excuse to see your friend again!" Taku shot an accusatory glance at Izayoi.

InuTaisho was on his feet in a moment, "Don't turn this around on Izayoi! She wanted to save your pups and you go and yell at her! Do you think this has been easy on us! We too are going to send our boys away!" InuTaisho sat down again, his eyes flashing red and the gold before going back again.

Taku continued to pace but his mutterings stopped.

"I'll have a talk with Ronin this evening after dinner, then all the preparation will have been made." Izayoi gave her friend a sad smile.

_**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miles Away. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . **_

"Kei are you sure this is what you want to do?" Kanaye asked his mate as they approached the mountains.

"I'm positive. I don't want anyone in their family to live to see another day, so if I could get our fastest demons to annoy him they could lead him right to InuTaisho's castle. Killing the entire pack," She smiled wickedly. She knew InuTaisho wouldn't be able to find away around this demon.


	13. Decisions

See A/N at bottom.

Chapter Thirteen: Decisions

**_Last Chapter _**

"_I'm positive. I don't want anyone in their family to live to see another day, so if I could get our fastest demons to annoy him they could lead him right to InuTaisho's castle. Killing the entire pack," She smiled wickedly. She knew InuTaisho wouldn't be able to find away around this demon._

**_Current Chapter _**

Sesshomaru awoke to the sounds of the outer walls of the castle collapsing. Not a minute later Izayoi rushed into the room grabbing both boys by their wrists and hurrying them out of the room and down the hall.

"Okaa," Inuyasha whined, clearly frightened by the sensor overload as crashing could be heard and the scent of blood hung heavily in the air.

"Shh, Yasha, I'll explain once we're in the woods," She quieted him and then turned to Sesshomaru, "Pick him up please, Sessho." Sesshomaru obeyed without questioning it and Izayoi upped their pace. As they passed through the Great Doors leading out of the castle Sesshomaru caught sight of his father, fully transformed, battling a dragon youkai. His quick steps slowed and he hesitated as he watched his father take a hit. He was old enough to transform, never mind that he'd never done it before, he could help his father.

"No, Sesshomaru," Izayoi called as she ran back to him and pulled him toward the cover of the trees, "Your father would not want you to fight now. You have to protect Inuyasha," she reminded him. Sesshomaru nodded and heard a small sob come from his otouto as both boys took one final glance at their father in all his feral glory.

Cries soon emerged behind them. They were far off but Sesshomaru could tell they were hunting them. Izayoi came to a sudden stop and Sesshomaru immediately scanned for danger. He sensed nothing, with the exception of the large maniacal group chasing them.

"In the circle Sesshomaru!" Izayoi cried and Sesshomaru realized their mother had shaped a circle out of purple rocks she'd pulled out of her kimono. The young lord cautiously stepped into the circle and the stones lit up as arrows started to rain down on the small family.

"Don't forget what I told you, Sessho!" Izayoi screamed over the noise as tears streamed down her face. Inuyasha cried out and reached for his mother, but Sesshomaru held him back. An arrow hit Izayoi in the back and she fell to her knees, giving the boys a sad smile.

"And don't forget we love you both, Inu and Sessho!!" With those words the forest, the noise, and their mother faded, leaving them swirling in a vortex of purple and black. Inuyasha screamed and clawed at Sesshomaru as the older pup tried to figure out what was happening.

Inuyasha quieted as their surroundings were revealed to them and then both boys began to panic. Sesshomaru could feel Inuyasha struggling above his as a wave fought to push the young pup down. Rocks surrounded him as he pushed Inuyasha to the surface, hoping that someone would hear the pup's screams and come rescue them. His head hit a rock and his vision went black for a moment before he felt Inuyasha being lifted out of his arms and then a hand reached down and extracted him, panting and spitting out water, from his cold dark prison.

_**A/N**: I am so sorry for the horrendously long and unacceptable wait and also for the short chapter! I completely understand if you hate me now. First it was writer's block, then school become so stressful my hair started to fall out, and then when I finially finished this about a month or two ago wouldn't let me upload it. But it's here and that's what matters. Also, I may go back and have a few friends act as Beta's so I can repost better version's of the first twelve chapters. I'll try to be more efficient now, but I'm not making any promises. Yours Truly;) _


	14. A Whole New World

_Previous Chapter _

_Inuyasha quieted as their surroundings were revealed to them and then both boys began to panic. Sesshomaru could feel Inuyasha struggling above him as a wave fought to push the young pup down. Rocks surrounded him as he pushed Inuyasha to the surface, hoping that someone would hear the pup's screams and come rescue them. His head hit a rock and his vision went black for a moment before he felt Inuyasha being lifted out of his arms and then a hand reached down and extracted him, panting and spitting out water, from his cold dark prison._

**Chapter Fourteen **

**A Whole New World**

Haru struggled to pull the second child out of the water and was stunned by the boy's features. _'Silver hair and golden eyes…'_ he thought to himself, _'Why is that so familiar?'_ He didn't dwell on the thought as his comrades rushed forward to assist him. He glanced at the first child; he was smaller but had the same coloring as the one he and Kano were now wheeling back to the ambulance.

"Haru," Kano whispered fiercely as he, too, inspected the boys, "They're demon, we should get Tora." Haru nodded. Tora was a tiger-hanyou who usually drove the ambulance, but was often called upon to work with youkai children. She had a way with them.

Haru sent Kano a look, indicating that he was going to switch places with the driver, just as the gurneys reached their destination. He sprinted to the front of the car and tapped urgently on the glass of the driver's side window. He took a step back as the red head in the seat opened the door and stepped out.

"I'll take the wheel Tora," He said as he took hold of the door, "We've got two minors, two youkai minors." He stressed. Very few members of the human faction of their team knew about the 'special circumstances' that sometimes arose. Tora gave him a short nod before circling to the back of the ambulance.

She cautiously took in the situation as she and Kano got situating in the back and the fourth team member joined Haru in the front. Kano, who had been busy trying to calm the thrashing toddler, sent Tora a pleading look and she sighed before switching seats with him.

"What happened," she asked as she attempted to inspect the child without getting hit by his flailing arms.

"We don't know. A call came in about some screaming on the beach and we found them. Inuyoukai, I think. Maybe brothers. This one," he gestured to the older child that lay in front of him, "might have a concussion and a few broken bones. We weren't able to get close enough to the younger one to assess his injuries yet." Tora nodded at the information and then winced as a tiny claw grazed her arm.

Kano radioed up to the front of the van and told Haru to send Shina back to assist. The vehicle briefly stopped and the door opened momentarily as the woman hurried into the back. They were back on course in less than thirty seconds.

"I'll prepare a sedative." Shina reached into the pack they had and pulled out a hypodermic needle, readying it for the smaller boy. The two women had already tried to physically restrain the pup, but all attempts were unsuccessful.

"Wait," Tora said, causing Shina to pause and gaze at her quizzically. She turned to the older calmer pup, who was having an IV put in by Kano.

"Can you tell him to calm down?" she asked urgently. For a moment it seemed as if he didn't hear her, but then he slowly turned, as best he could with the neck brace Kano had put him in, to face her.

"If he doesn't calm down we'll have to give him something that will make him tired and lethargic," she explained. His face remained emotionless but he did speak.

"Inuyasha," the smaller pup didn't appear to have heard him over his own yowls, "Inuyasha." He repeated himself once more before Tora heard a low growl. She glanced at Shina and could tell that the ningen woman hadn't heard anything, but the pup had. The pup, Inuyasha apparently, instantly went still and let out a low wimper.

"Stay still," the older pup commanded and Inuyasha gave a short nod. Shina looked slightly confused but put away the needle as she and Tora quickly got Inuyasha in a neck brace.

"Inuyasha," Tora leaned over him so he could see her face, "we're going to put a needle in your arm to help you get better okay?" she informed him as Shina slowly slipped said needle into his vein and continued hooking up the IV. Inuyasha let out another low whine and the pain visible in his golden orbs made Tora want to hug him.

The EMTs immediately came to their feet as they felt the ambulance slow to a stop. Others came out to greet them as they hurried both gurneys out of the van and into the hospital. Kano was relaying the injuries that had been discovered and also those that were likely as the sliding doors opened for them.

"Dr. Mochizuki," Tora called as they entered the Emergency Room. Seiichi Mochizuki was a fukurou hanyou and one of the best ER doctors. He had just finished with another patient when Tora called him. He rushed over and looked over both boys as Kano, once again, went over the information gathered.

Seiichi first went to the older pup, "Can you tell me what your name is young man?"

--

Sesshomaru was going into sensory overload. First they were rescued and then whisked away in a …. What had Okaasan called them? Oh yes, it must have been some type of _motor vehicle_. Then they were prodded with needles and brought to….the sign had said this place was called _Hospital_. Not only were there all these new places but the people were strange, too. He was finding it hard to grasp, that in the little time that they'd been here they'd already encountered two hanyou. Okaasan had said she didn't know how youkai behaved with the humans, but Sesshomaru concluded that at least a few of them must get along.

Coming out of his thoughts he focused on the man, or rather the hanyou, leaning over him. He took in his wide brown eyes and the busy mustache he had before the man spoke.

"Can you tell me what your name is young man?"

Sesshomaru schooled his features to hide his emotions. "Sesshomaru," he replied coolly, blinking away the black spots that once again dared invade his vision.

"How old are you, Sesshomaru?" He questioned as he alternately held open each of Sesshomaru's eyes and shined a light in them.

"Almost nine summers," he answered. The man then took his wrist in his hand and pressed a finger against it.

"Well, Sesshomaru, I am Dr. Mochizuki and I'll be taking care of you and your… is he your brother?"

Sesshomaru nodded, glancing over to see that woman, the tiger hanyou, treating Inuyasha in a similar way. He was wary of these people. Izayoi had mentioned that these _doctors_ could be trusted, but he needed more assurance than that.

"How old is…ehh…" Dr. Mochizuki looked at a wooden board laden with papers, "Inuyasha?"

Sesshomaru paused for a moment. His otouto was born when he was six summers so that would make him… "Almost three summers."

"Three _summers_…" he repeated thoughtfully and wrote something on the papers on the wooden board, "And where are your parents, Sesshomaru? Do you know your phone number?"

Sesshomaru stared at the doctor as Inuyasha began to wail, "They died," he intoned monotonously, not bothering to add that, even before their deaths, they hadn't had these _telephones_ he spoke of.

He kept his eyes on Inuyasha and saw the hanyou try to console him.

Seiichi motioned for a nurse and sent her to call social services.

"When was the last time either of you went to see a doctor?" he questioned. Sesshomaru turned back to look at the doctor.

"Never."

**A/N**: Here you go. Now don't go getting your hopes up for another update really soon, though. I can only get to my computer for about twenty minutes a day currently. I hope you like where this is going. PLEASE REVIEW!!! Yours Truly!


	15. Further Adjustments

**A/N:** Okay, sorry for the wait. Please forgive any current errors; my beta is on vacation for the week! Enjoy!!

_**Previous Chapter**_

_Seiichi motioned for a nurse and sent her to call social services._

"_When was the last time either of you went to see a doctor?" he questioned. Sesshomaru turned back to look at the doctor._

"_Never."_

_**Present Chapter**_

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Further Adjustments**

Seiichi Mochizuki ran a frustrated hand through his feathery brown hair. He'd stayed at the hospital four hours over his shift in order to get everything prepared for the youkai children that had been brought in today. The CT scan had been the worst. The elder pup did fine, but the smaller one… they had to let his brother in the room with him just to get any kind of cooperation.

But that was in the past. The elder, Sesshomaru, had a black cast on his left arm. The nurses had been amazed at his calm after viewing the x-rays of the nearly shattered forearm. The younger pup had also been surprisingly relaxed when they attempted to explain that he would need a cast just like his brother's on his foot. He even seemed a little excited when the nurse began to wrap the red bandages, a color he chose, around his foot and leg.

Now they were gone. After all of their vitals had been checked and rechecked and Sesshomaru had a bandage around a wound on his head, that had almost caused a concussion, the woman from social services had shown up and taken them to the '_proper facility'_. Those had been her exact words chosen to inform Seiichi that they were being taken to an orphanage that was trained to deal with demon children.

Sighing as the first rays of sunlight began to show over the horizon, Seiichi looked over his report once more. From the conversations he had had with Sesshomaru he had put together a feasible explanation for their whereabouts and injuries. He had been surprised at how guarded the older pup was with his emotions. Even the younger one seemed overly wary of the hospital staff. Nonetheless, Seiichi had concluded that both pups had been on a boat, or other water vessel, and in order to escape someone, or something, that they believed would harm them, they had jumped overboard.

He closed the file and set his reading glasses on his desk. Social workers would be looking into cases of missing children fitting the unique profiles of his most recent patients by morning. Hopefully some next of kin could be found before the boys were lost to the perils of the foster care system.

--

Sesshomaru carefully took in his surroundings. He'd have a much easier job if the people of this time would just let them stay in one place. All of the scents he was picking up were extremely confusing. If ever he had wished he could just go home and cuddle up with his Otou and Okaa, it was now, not that he would ever admit to it.

"Sesshomaru-chan," he spared a glance toward the woman who had welcomed him not thirty minutes ago, he remembered she had called herself Tomiko, "Inuyasha-chan can stay in a room with the younger boys, we've made up a bed for him there." Her voice was low, seeing as most, if not all of the inhabitants of the…_group home_ she had called it, were sleeping.

Sesshomaru shook his head. This facility was not completely new to him, though more updated than what he could recall. No matter what pretty name she called it by he new an orphanage when he saw one. They were not unheard of in the past.

"Inuyasha stays with me," he informed her stepping in front of said pup as if to protect him from the woman. She just nodded, "Your bed is over by the window Sesshomaru," she pointed, "Your roommates are demons also, will this bother you?"

He was taken aback for a moment. This human knew what he was? What Inuyasha was? His sense of security, however slim it was, thinned a bit more. He was still unsure as to how each individual, human or youkai, would treat his brother.

"This is fine," he announced before walking into the room and toward the bed Tomiko had indicated. Inuyasha struggled behind him, having extreme difficulty with the metal 'sticks' the doctors had given him to help him walk. The pup was extremely off balance with the absence of this right foot and the metal…_ crutches _were taking longer for him to get accustomed to. He finally made it to the bed and quietly set his crutches on the floor before climbing onto the small bed with his brother.

He made a face at how different his Aniki looked in his new clothing, provided by the Tomi-lady, and he knew he must look funny, too. Yet all his thoughts of laughter fled as his exhaustion caught up with him. He settled at Sesshomaru's side curling up and yawning widely before closing his golden eyes.

"Nigh' nigh', Fluffy," he sighed and Sesshomaru heard his breathing even out signaling sleep. He glanced around at the dark room before turning his eyes the slowly lightening sky outside. He guessed they'd be safe enough for him to take a little rest. After all, it was a very taxing job looking after his otouto.

--

The warmth of the sunlight had assured that both boys got off to an early day. Sesshomaru had consented to carry Inuyasha on his back in order to spare the pup the struggle he had been through the previous night. Sesshomaru quickly followed his nose to the most familiar scent he could distinguish- Tomiko.

"Ahhh, I didn't expect you up so early," the young woman smiled warmly from her place in front of a large metal object that Sesshomaru guessed, from the way it emitted heat, was a modern fernace, or what his okaasan had called a _stove_.

"I make breakfast for everyone in the mornings," she continued, "I hope you and Inuyasha-chan like eggs, toast, and bacon." Sesshomaru still remained silent as he approached a large rectangular table that bared much resemblance, in size if not in extravagance, to the one in the dining hall of his father's home. He gently set his brother onto a cushion before lowering himself onto one.

"I don't know if you can read, but you and Inuyasha-chan are in today's paper. They always put in ads or articles when children are found in the manner you were. No doubt many people will soon be arriving to meet you. You guys might even find a new family," she chirped happily as the bacon sizzled in the pan.

Sesshomaru looked away and heard a small "keh" come from his brother and realized they shared the same sentiments. They had no need for a _new family_. Okaasan and Otousan had left them with each other and that would be more than enough, especially with all of the new things they had to become accustomed to. New family would be too much.

Tomiko continued to cook and hum to herself as the boys sat in comfortable silence for a while. Sesshomaru had been staring out a large window when he felt a tug at the sleeve of his _t-shirt_. He wanted to scold his brother for drawing his attention to the offending garment but saw that the pup had something to say.

"We gotta leave soon, Fluffy," Inuyasha whispered, his tone low enough to ensure no humans could overhear.

"What do you mean? Our home is surely decimated," he responded in a like voice, internally flinching as the words came out of his mouth. He still didn't want to believe it.

"Okaasan take me to this place everytime," Inuyasha insisted, "She say to always go back at _that_ time. She say it secret." Inuyasha stared intently into his oniisan's eyes trying to gauge the amount of understanding.

Sesshomaru was confused. Okaasan had been secretly taking Inuyasha somewhere? Where had they been going? And why take a two year old whelp with her? Yet he understood that this was one last tie to the past. One more thing to hold onto from their dead parents and he did not want to lose that.

"We'll leave as soon as we can, koinu," Sesshomaru whispered back, using the nickname to ease the trace amounts of fear he could sense from his otoutosan. Inuyasha nodded before turning his gaze back to Tomiko and the vast quantities of food she was preparing. Sesshomaru faintly heard the sound of many sets of feet rushing downstairs from all corners of the orphanage. He unconsciously shifted closer to Inuyasha anticipating at least one negative reaction to the younger pup's heritage. They may be in a new world, but that did not ease old insecurities.

**A/N**: Sorry for the wait. I hope you guys are still enjoying it! Thank you all who stuck with me through the informal hiatus, I'll try not to let it happen again, but I'll make no promises seeing as school is starting again. I'll write as often as I can. As always, your input is greatly appreciated. Every review brings a smile to my face! Yours Truly!!


	16. Secret Garden

**This chapter is dedicated to **_**Princess Sin**_**, my sole reviewer from the last chapter! Your review help push me to get this chapter out. Thank you for taking the time to leave your comment! I'm sorry for grammatical errors, it is way too early to wake up my beta!! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!**

_**Previous Chapter**_

"_We'll leave as soon as we can, koinu," Sesshomaru whispered back, using the nickname to ease the trace amounts of fear he could sense from his otoutosan. Inuyasha nodded before turning his gaze back to Tomiko and the vast quantities of food she was preparing. Sesshomaru faintly heard the sound of many sets of feet rushing downstairs from all corners of the orphanage. He unconsciously shifted closer to Inuyasha anticipating at least one negative reaction to the younger pup's heritage. They may be in a new world, but that did not ease old insecurities_

_**Current Chapter**_

**Chapter Sixteen**

**The Secret Garden**

Sesshomaru could sense his otouto becoming increasingly restless as the day wore on and he decided that they could not wait until the _doctors_ removed their_ casts_ to travel. He'd have to make it work. Night fell with no confrontation brought on by any of the other workers or children. Tomiko had dressed them in a form a sleeping yukata she called _pajamas_ and now Sesshomaru worked furiously to undress both he and Inuyasha and then redress in these shirts and…_jeans_ they had been given. Finally pulling Inuyasha's jeans up and fastening the strange contraptions at the top, Sesshomaru moved to the window and pulled it open silently.

"Where are you going?" a small voice asked and Sesshomaru turned around slowly.

"We are leaving, human," he said, his tone unfeeling. Being exposed to all these new experiences without his father had only led to the hardening of the shell he kept around himself.

"I was just…" a voice cut him off, "Kohaku, just go to sleep. You can't stop them." The small dark-haired boy shot them a pleading look before climbing back into this bed.

Sesshomaru wasted no more time as he hoisted Inuyasha onto his back on leapt out of the open window. His bare feet hit the grass and he took off in a sprint. They'd brought the shoes Tomiko had given them, but they were in a bag on Inuyasha's back. Trees whipped around them as Sesshomaru struggled to keep Inuyasha supported on his back. The pup was silent, his head bent into Sesshomaru's shoulder and his hands clamped firmly into the tender cloth covered skin there.

Sesshomaru, despite the fact that they were running into the unknown, felt the most comfortable he had since his father's death. He loved the wind in his face, the leaves in his hair, and the bark and dirt under his feet. As they got farther from the city, Sesshomaru began to recognize a few things from his childhood. He reached the former place of the Palace of the West and couldn't bear to stop at the wreckage, and from the way Inuyasha was trembling, he could only guess that the pup didn't wish to look upon the destruction either.

"Left, Nii-san," Inuyasha instructed and Sesshomaru changed course, heading for a giant rock face. He was there in a few minutes and landed uneasily on a ledge. His arm itched under the pressure of the cast and he longed to tear it off, but now was not the time.

"Down," the small voice carried over his shoulder and he hopped down to a lower ledge. Inuyasha urged him forward and he began to walk. He'd never thought to adventure here when he had played. The large cliffs near their house held none of his interest until now.

"This one, Fluffy," Inuyasha informed and Sesshomaru turned into a cave to his right that he hadn't taken notice of until Inuyasha mentioned it. He gently slid Inuyasha down his back and the pup limped across the floor to the back of the cave.

The wide opening tapered off until the deep cave split off into three small passages. Before Sesshomaru could speak, Inuyasha was on his knees crawling into a passage furthest right. He emerged a moment later with a small wooden box. He handed the box to Sesshomaru and then sat on the floor looking up at his oniisan with expectation glittering in his eyes.

Sesshomaru looked from the box, which still carried the scent of their dead ningen okaasan, to his brother before sitting down next to the pup. He cautiously opened the box, not wanted to pull up the memories of their parting with their mother. Inside were yellowed papers, littered with words clearly written by Izayoi.

Sesshomaru blinked, feeling unfamiliar wetness in his eyes. He used to sit and watch Izayoi write while Inuyasha had still been inside her. It had fascinated him that she had such a way with words on paper. Her beautiful calligraphy on the paper before him brought up these memories. There was a thick stack of these papers in the box, folded nice and neatly. Sesshomaru looked up at his brother with an unvoiced question in his eyes.

"Okaasan write when we come here," Inuyasha provided, understanding his brother completely, "She say, 'Fluffy read these to you one day.'" Sesshomaru just nodded, _'So she really could see what was to happen to them,'_ he though sadly. His eyes scanned over the letter once more, seeing each character perfectly even in the dim light, before he began to read aloud:

"_My dear Sesshomaru,_

_If Inuyasha has brought you to this place, and given you my letters then your father and I are no longer with you. It was for the best that I sent you where you are. I could not rest in peace knowing my two boys had suffered. There is so much I need to tell you so please take care to read each letter. You may leave the box and its contents in the cave until you are ready to bring it with you. I have to inform you of something very important now. The night of the new moon is the one time of the month when Inuyasha is his most vulnerable. He hates these times and has learned not to be out when this time in the lunar cycle comes around. I would take him here on these nights. We would sit and I would write while he drew. I can no longer do this for him, Sessho-kun. As his aniki I hope you will take on this duty- protect Inu-kun during the new moon. Keep him indoors and away from all who would seek to harm him. If others were to be informed of this weakness they could use it against you two. I have no more time to write tonight, the sun is rising and I spent much of the night organizing these letters for you. Please take the time to read them, Sesshomaru. Remember that just because your father and I are gone, does not mean everyone from our time is gone. You have learned about demon life spans. Take care of yourselves, my sons. We will love you till the end of time._

_Izayoi_"

Some time later Sesshomaru declared himself done with the first letter, after reading it and rereading it repeatedly, and he moved onto the second. His brother lay slumped against his side, gently cushioned by the black cloth that clothed the elder demon, and warmed by the cast covered arm that held him upright.

Sesshomaru hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep until he was awakened by the sunlight on his face. Inuyasha, too, stirred at his side, gently rubbing the remnants of sleep from his large golden eyes.

"We go back now, Sessho?" Inuyasha asked as Sesshomaru gathered the letters back up, in their original order, and placed them neatly back in the box.

"No, Koinu, after the moon begins to grow again," he informed. He had had time last night to peek at the sky before sleep had claimed him once more; the moon was barely a sliver in the sky, quite clearly waning. He would be much more capable of protecting Inuyasha here, in these semi-familiar lands than he would back in the city. And he'd also be able to finish the letters. He'd only barely made it half way through, if even that. Izayoi had a lot to share with him. _'She should've written a book,'_ he scoffed to himself, thinking of the bound pages of writing Tomiko had shown to him the previous day.

Pushing all thoughts of their new life away from him, Sesshomaru stored the box in a dark corner along with the bag they'd brought and carried Inuyasha out of the cave and down to the sparse wooded area at the base of the rock face.

"I have to hunt if you want to eat, otouto," Sesshomaru said simply, "You collect tall grass so we have something soft to sleep on tonight." Inuyasha just nodded and Sesshomaru couldn't help but notice his little brother seemed much more confident in his ability to provide than he, himself, was.

Sesshomaru had never been hunting alone. He'd gone after small game with his father before Izayoi had come to the palace. But with the announcement of the Second Prince of the West InuTaisho grew lax with Sesshomaru's training. Sesshomaru had begun to feel more like a second son himself at that time. Sesshomaru pushed these thoughts from his head as he moved quickly through the trees having picked up the scent of a group of rabbits nearby.

Inuyasha had a large pile of grass gathered by the time Sesshomaru returned with their late breakfast. The elder pup sloppily skinned his catches before passing the larger rabbit to his otouto and biting into the smaller one himself. Inuyasha was a little reluctant to accept the bloody meat at first, but seeing his aniki dig in so eagerly encouraged the pup and soon both had finished their meal.

Sesshomaru, though he did not show it openly, enjoyed the carefree nature that they both seemed to have taken on so far from the prying eyes of adults. It was as if they'd discovered their own little paradise, untouched by the strange population of the future. They spent the day climbing trees, chasing squirrels, and playing with fish in a small creek they'd discovered not to far from the base of the cliffs. It wasn't until the sky began to take on a pink hue that Sesshomaru noted the difference in his otouto.

Inuyasha was sticking to him like glue, struggling to stay near him. Not to mention the demonic part of the pup's scent was fading. At first Sesshomaru was extremely worried. Maybe raw meat wasn't good for hanyous! But then he remembered Izayoi's letter, and the reason they'd stayed at the cave in the first place. Without another thought, Sesshomaru picked up his baby brother and bounded back up to the cave.

It didn't take long for the sun to set completely. Inuyasha huddled in a corner and Sesshomaru watched with interest as the transformation occurred. Inuyasha didn't make a sound as his hair darkened and his senses faded, but Sesshomaru could smell a hint of pain as the puppy ears that were normally perched atop his head migrated down. His wide violet eyes were filled with fear as he looked up at hi nii-san and in that moment Sesshomaru realized just how big of a role he would have to play in the pup's life. Inuyasha had not lived without a mother as he had. He didn't know what it was like to not have someone to cuddle with and pick him up when he fell.

Sesshomaru gave the pup the closest thing he could to a reassuring smile and in a second Inuyasha had flung himself into his brother's arms, seeking the comfort his mother usually offered him. He felt more vulnerable than usual without his okaa there to protect him.

"Nothing will happen to you tonight, Inuyasha. Not while this Sesshomaru is here," Sesshomaru informed as he settled himself on the cave floor, silently taking notice that they'd forgotten to bring up the grass, his words unknowingly soothing all of Inuyasha's worries.

**A/N**: **Sorry for the loooong wait. This story is still my baby and I will see it through, but it'll take time. I was asked about sending the boys back to the past, but I don't think I'll do it. I hadn't thought about Kagome in the least, let alone her shrine. But fear not, the past has a way of catching up with everyone. Please review! Yours Truly!**


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